The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program will collaborate with industry and other key stakeholders to develop and iteratively improve a cloud-native authorization approach, called FedRAMP 20x, as part of efforts to accelerate secure cloud adoption across federal agencies.
The program said Monday the FedRAMP 20x framework will advance automation to enable companies to continuously validate the security of their cloud offerings and will be updated annually to encourage security improvements.
“Our partnership with the commercial cloud industry needs serious improvement. Strengthening this relationship will help us fulfill our commitment to cutting waste and adopting the best available technologies to modernize the government’s aging IT infrastructure,” Stephen Ehikian, acting administrator of the General Services Administration, said in a statement published Monday.
“FedRAMP 20x will give agencies access to the latest technology now — not months or years down the road,” Ehikian added.
Where Are the Goals of FedRAMP 20x?
FedRAMP 20x will reduce red tape and accelerate approvals by advancing automation. It will also simplify security requirements to speed up the authorization of new cloud services within weeks.
Under the new framework, FedRAMP will provide more flexibility and promote better collaboration between federal agencies and cloud service providers. The program will also host public working groups to collect industry feedback, provide technical guidance and promote pilot programs.
“We’re not just modernizing a process; we’re reimagining how federal cloud security can work and providing agencies the ability to determine their own risk posture,” said Thomas Shedd, director of the Technology Transformation Services and deputy commissioner of Federal Acquisition Service at GSA.
“FedRAMP 20x represents our commitment to cutting through complexity, empowering innovation, and ensuring that security keeps pace with technological advancement. FedRAMP 20x will keep driving faster, smarter, and more customer-focused service for years to come,” Shedd added.
Other FedRAMP Changes in 2025
FedRAMP said it will pursue the development of new paths that eliminate inefficiencies and focus on security and establish policies and standards that enable private innovation to build the solution.
The new FedRAMP Program Management Office will now operate with a smaller team focused on addressing the agency authorization backlog and providing community support and technical assistance to establish standards.
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