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What Are FedRAMP Software Supply Chain Rules?
FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program) software supply chain rules refer to the mandatory security practices and compliance requirements that cloud service providers (CSPs) must follow to ensure the integrity and trustworthiness of their software, dependencies, and delivery pipelines when selling to the U.S. federal government.
These rules are derived from multiple federal directives, including Executive Order 14028, NIST guidance (e.g., SSDF, 800-218), and CISA’s supply chain security framework.
Why FedRAMP rules are important
The U.S. government is a high-value target for cyber attackers. FedRAMP’s rules help mitigate the risk of compromised software entering federal environments by enforcing:
- Provenance verification
- Secure development practices
- Continuous monitoring
- Software artifact validation
By following these rules, CSPs and their partners enhance both federal and commercial trust in their software supply chain practices.
How does FedRAMP work?
FedRAMP integrates software supply chain security into its authorization process. Key expectations include:
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SBOM Requirement: All cloud services must produce and maintain a Software Bill of Materials for components and dependencies.
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Secure Development Attestations: Providers must document adherence to the NIST Secure Software Development Framework (SSDF).
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Artifact Integrity Verification: Code must be signed and validated before deployment.
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CI/CD Security Controls: Build environments must implement access controls, logging, and tamper protection.
- Threat Intelligence Integration: Security workflows must ingest threat data to assess risks associated with third-party or open-source components.
These practices are assessed during audits and ongoing authorizations.
Benefits of FedRAMP compliance
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Access to Federal Contracts: Required for any CSP aiming to sell cloud services to the U.S. government.
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Improved Security Maturity: Forces high standards for build, release, and runtime security practices.
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Enhanced Brand Credibility: Signals software integrity and resilience to all customers, not just those in the federal sector.
- Foundation for Other Certifications: Helps meet requirements for SOC 2, ISO 27001, and DoD programs.
FedRAMP vs
|
Framework |
Focus Area |
Key Differences |
|
CISA Guidelines |
General software supply chain best practices |
FedRAMP builds on CISA, but is mandatory for federal cloud providers |
|
NIST SSDF |
Secure software development lifecycle |
FedRAMP operationalizes NIST SSDF in cloud compliance programs |
|
EO 14028 |
Federal cybersecurity executive order |
FedRAMP is an implementation mechanism for EO 14028 |
Best practices for using FedRAMP rules
- Enforce CI/CD security gates to block unauthorized builds
- Require SBOMs and signed provenance for every release
- Conduct recurring security posture assessments across cloud environments
- Monitor third-party software for vulnerabilities and update lag
- Integrate FedRAMP standards into software procurement workflows
Use cases
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Federal Cloud Deployments: Required for software hosted in AWS GovCloud, Azure Government, etc.
-
Government Procurement Reviews: CSPs evaluated for security compliance underFedRAMP baselines
- Cloud SaaS Vendor Due Diligence: Ensuring third-party vendors meet federal-grade supply chain security
Additional considerations
- Compliance is tiered (Low, Moderate, High) based on data sensitivity
- Continuous Monitoring (ConMon) is critical — security posture must be maintained post-authorization
- Upcoming FedRAMP modernization (e.g., FedRAMP Rev. 5) includes stricter SBOM and SDLC evidence requirements
- CSPs should maintain a FedRAMP SSP (System Security Plan) with supply chain security controls fully documented