StateRAMP is a nonprofit organization that provides a standardized approach to security authorization for cloud service providers working with state and local governments. Modeled after the federal FedRAMP program, StateRAMP was established in 2020 to address the fragmented landscape of cybersecurity requirements across the thousands of state, county, and municipal governments in the United States. The program offers a 'verify once, use many' model that reduces duplicative security assessments while ensuring consistent security baselines. StateRAMP uses NIST SP 800-53 controls as its foundation, with impact levels aligned to Low, Moderate, and High categories.
Cloud service providers pursuing StateRAMP authorization engage a Third-Party Assessment Organization (3PAO) to evaluate their security posture against the applicable NIST SP 800-53 control baseline. The StateRAMP Program Management Office (PMO) reviews the security package and issues one of several status designations: Ready (security package under review), Provisional (controls verified, continuous monitoring beginning), or Authorized (fully compliant with continuous monitoring in place). Providers must submit monthly vulnerability scans, annual penetration test results, and maintain a Plan of Action and Milestones for any identified deficiencies. StateRAMP maintains a public Authorized Product List that government procurement teams can reference. The program also offers a Security Snapshot for products not yet pursuing full authorization, providing a preliminary security assessment.
State and local governments are increasingly requiring StateRAMP authorization in their procurement processes. For cloud service providers, StateRAMP certification opens access to a massive market of government buyers while reducing the burden of responding to individual security questionnaires. For government agencies, StateRAMP provides confidence that cloud services meet a verified security baseline without conducting their own assessments. As cyberattacks on government entities increase, StateRAMP provides a critical mechanism for raising the security bar across the public sector.