StateRAMP Moderate Category 3

Why it Matters

StateRAMP Moderate Category 3 enables government agencies and cloudproviders to manage cybersecurity risks and ensure the protection ofsensitive public sector data.

Key benefits include:

• Strengthen cybersecurity oversight

Establishesstandardized processes for evaluating and validating securitypostures across cloud solutions used by state and local agencies.

• Enhance compliance alignment

Supportsregulatory adherence by mapping security controls to state-specificrequirements and demonstrating due diligence during audits.

• Promote operational resilience

Reduces servicedisruption by enforcing robust risk management, contingency planning,and incident response procedures tailored to public sector needs.

• Improve audit readiness

Simplifiespreparation for independent assessments by requiring documentedsecurity measures and annual verification by authorized assessors.

• Bolster data protection practices

Safeguardsconfidential government information and citizen data through baselineexpectations for access control, encryption, and monitoring.

How it Works

StateRAMP Moderate Category 3 structures its framework around acomprehensive control catalog modeled after the FedRAMP Moderatebaseline, grouping security controls into control families such asaccess control, incident response, and risk assessment. Thesefamilies cover key governance domains essential for cloud servicesecurity, incorporating federal regulatory requirements andcontinuous monitoring standards established for government and publicsector cloud environments.

Organizations implement StateRAMP Moderate Category 3 by assessingtheir cloud services against standardized security controls,conducting risk assessments, and mapping these controls into theirwider governance and compliance programs. In practice, this includesdocumenting security measures, performing periodic assessments tovalidate compliance, monitoring security posture, and remediatingidentified gaps to align with required federal and statecybersecurity standards.

Using SmartSuite, organizations operationalize StateRAMP byleveraging built-in control libraries mapped to StateRAMP ModerateCategory 3 requirements. They can manage risk registers, automateevidence collection for compliance audits, and utilize policygovernance tools to maintain continuous compliance. SmartSuitefurther enables organizations to track remediation efforts, monitoraudit readiness, and generate dashboards for ongoing compliance andrisk management monitoring.

Key Elements

• Moderate Baseline Security Controls

Specifies a setof required security safeguards tailored for moderate risk cloudservice environments.

• Control Family Groupings

Organizesindividual requirements into thematic categories covering areas suchas access, incident response, and governance.

• Authorization and Assessment Process

Establishesstructured procedures for evaluating, validating, and authorizingcloud services for use by state entities.

• Continuous Monitoring Structure

Describes ongoingmechanisms for security control monitoring and threat detectionthroughout the service lifecycle.

• Governance and Compliance Oversight

Definesorganizational responsibilities for security management, complianceverification, and regulatory alignment.

• Documentation and Reporting Requirements

Outlines requireddocumentation, audit artifacts, and reporting protocols forassessment and verification activities.

Framework Scope

StateRAMP Moderate Category 3 is adopted by U.S. state and localagencies, cloud service providers, and independent security assessorsresponsible for securing government data within cloud environments.It governs the implementation and validation of security controls andprivacy measures, typically during procurement, cloud adoption, orcompliance activities, supporting robust risk management anddemonstrating control effectiveness.

Framework Objectives

StateRAMP Moderate Category 3 defines core objectives for managingcybersecurity risk and ensuring secure, compliant cloud services forstate and local agencies.

Safeguard public sector data through robust security controls andprivacy practices

Strengthen cybersecurity governance to align with regulatoryrequirements and industry best practices

Improve risk management by validating cloud service provider securitypostures

Enable operational resilience and minimize disruptions from cyberthreats

Demonstrate compliance with state and local regulatory frameworks andstandards

Enhance audit readiness with consistent security assessments anddocumented evidence StateRAMP Moderate Category 3 aligns closely withFedRAMP Moderate and NIST SP 800-53, leveraging established federalcloud security requirements. Organizations typically implementStateRAMP to demonstrate compliance with state government cloudprocurement standards, ensure secure cloud service adoption, andstreamline security assessments for vendors providing cloud solutionsto the public sector.

Framework in Context

StateRAMP ModerateCategory 3 aligns closely with FedRAMP Moderate and NIST SP 800-53,leveraging established federal cloud security requirements.Organizations typically implement StateRAMP to demonstrate compliancewith state government cloud procurement standards, ensure securecloud service adoption, and streamline security assessments forvendors providing cloud solutions to the public sector.

Common Framework Mappings

StateRAMP Moderate Category 3 is often mapped to other recognizedsecurity and privacy frameworks to streamline compliance efforts,reduce audit duplication, and demonstrate a unified security postureacross cloud and government environments.

Mapped frameworks include:

CIS Critical Security Controls

FedRAMP

ISO/IEC 27001

ISO/IEC 27002

ISO/IEC 27017

ISO/IEC 27701

NIST Cybersecurity Framework

NIST SP 800-53

SOC 2 Cloud Security

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