The storm clearly has not passed for some big programs run by the General Services Administration, including FedRAMP’s spending of $150,000 in taxpayer money to duplicate an online dashboard capability that had already been developed in the private sector and made available to the government for free….Also, Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas, is back with another bill aimed at IT modernization. […]

Facing criticism that $150,000 was spent to create a FedRAMP dashboard virtually identical to the existing FedRAMP OnRamp dashboard, the General Services Administration said that the new dashboard performs unique functions and that it has processes in place to ensure that systems are not unnecessarily duplicated. […]

Federal agencies can now use cloud computing systems to store their most sensitive, unclassified data, through the recent release of the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program High Baseline.
“This release allows agencies to use cloud environments for high-impact data, including data that involves the protection of life and financial ruin,” said the FedRAMP announcement. […]

In a review of its progress over the past nine months compared with the four years before that, the GSA released an infographic touting the increases in authorizations, re-uses, and use frequency of cloud service providers. […]

Less than three months after a wave of negative feedback from industry forced the General Services Administration to revamp the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program, a new MeriTalk survey shows for the first time that many government IT officials doubt the value of the program in its current form. […]

Content management company Box unveiled its Box for Government initiative, which brings together different product suites designed for government and enables agencies to work remotely, collaboratively, and with an assurance of security. Box for Government has already received a FedRAMP Provisional Authority to Operate (P-ATO) from the Defense Information Systems Agency. […]

If cloud computing is the future of government information technology, then Cisco may be one of the most relevant companies in Washington, D.C. Cisco’s FedRAMP authorization—granted by the Department of Health and Human Services—represents a significant development for both the company and the government. […]

Cloud computing offers the most security for government data, argued Homeland Security CIO of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Mark Schwartz, at the Akamai Government Forum. […]

Microsoft Azure was selected for a FedRAMP pilot program that will establish a high-impact baseline for cloud-computing services. This essentially allows Federal agencies to move more sensitive data onto contracted cloud-computing services, enabling the sensitive data to operate on the more technically advanced level that is already possible for low-impact data. […]

A representative of a Federal cloud computing industry advisory group filed a formal complaint this week with the General Services Administration’s inspector general alleging officials from FedRAMP issued veiled threats of retaliation against member companies that publicly voiced concerns about problems with the cloud security certification process. […]

A “fireside chat” brought the heat to Capitol Hill on Thursday. Members of the Cloud Computing Caucus delivered a scathing review of the FedRAMP certification process, but also strong words of advice, to a roomful of Federal workers and private contractors at the Fix FedRAMP forum. […]

The Commerce Department is looking for a Deputy CIO and a CTO. … Andy Purdy, the former acting director of the Department of Homeland Security’s National Cyber Security Division who recently became the chief security officer of Huawei Technologies USA, is now the vice chairman of the Open Group Trusted Technology Forum. … And the FedRAMP Program Management Office held a very efficient all-hands meeting. […]

The Federal government is the leading creator, collector, consumer, and communicator of information in the United States. If there are changes to its regulatory requirements, it is possible those changes will eventually spread into the commercial sector. Here’s what that sector needs to know. […]

Former NSA Director Michael Hayden’s new book, Playing To The Edge: American Intelligence In The Age Of Terror, raises tough questions about the Obama administration’s lack of support for the agency following the Edward Snowden revelations. Also, the GSA’s in-house innovation lab, known as 18F, is expanding its consulting services. But is that somehow crossing a line? […]

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission awarded Salient CRGT a task order with a two-year contract for roughly $1.44 million to provide the agency with Master Data Management and Enterprise Data Exchange services. Maureen Conley, NRC public affairs officer, said, “This project utilizes a private cloud, not a FedRamp compliant service.” […]

“With our reputation for consistently meeting stringent security and availability … customers using a proprietary cloud architecture called vStructure™. The vStructure™ IaaS platform allows for enhanced computing capabilities, accessibility VAZATA Attains FedRAMP JAB Security Authorization for Managed Cloud Services for U.S. Government Clients thumbnail courtesy of virtual-strategy.com […]

Anticipating the release of the Fix FedRAMP paper, GSA and the FedRAMP PMO released this blog Wednesday evening. Let’s hear it for change. […]

Ashley Mahan can add “evangelist” to her resume. The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) named her its “agency evangelist” on Oct. 21. Mahan’s familiarity with Federal IT and cloud computing make her an obvious choice to spread the gospel of cloud computing and sing FedRAMP’s praises to an increasingly receptive congregation of Federal […]

Cloud service provider Autonomic Resources’ was the first CSP to earn compliance from FedRAMP and the first to earn compliance from the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA). What’s next? […]

Matt Goodrich, director of the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP), has announced the hiring of a new ‘agency evangelist.’ Goodrich, who made the announcement during a webinar with Bloomberg Government Wednesday afternoon, said Ashley Mahan will provide much-needed help and expertise in the FedRAMP Program Management Office (PMO). “She’s been supporting the team […]

With Internet security on everyone’s mind and secure cloud on everyone’s bucket list throughout the Federal government, Verizon is expanding secure access to cloud services for Federal customers on its private IP network. Federal agencies now can securely connect to a growing roster of FedRAMP-certified cloud providers via Verizon’s Secure Cloud Interconnect (SCI) service. Featuring […]

  FedRAMP last week unveiled an online training course to help users understand the new review and approve process. The training is available on the agency’s training page. The new training is intended to help FedRAMP cloud service providers (CSPs) and others understand the lengthy and complex process to receive FedRAMP compliance. According to FedRAMP, […]

Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) didn’t waste any time at a recent field hearing to say Federal agencies are dragging their feet when it comes to cloud computing. “We deserve a Federal government that harnesses innovative solutions such as the cloud to modernize record keeping, improve critical government functions, maximize security, and be wise stewards of […]

Cloud Service Provider (CSP) Esri last week earned a rare distinction – its Managed Cloud Services became the first system to transition from a CSP supplied package to an agency FedRAMP authorization. Esri, based in Redlands, California, initially earned its Authority to Operate (ATO) at the moderate level from the U.S. Census Bureau. Esri provides […]

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