The Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 199 provides organizations and individuals with the necessary guidance to determine a cybersecurity threat’s impact level accurately. These impact levels define the level of security a system should have to protect the data contained therein adequately. 

This article will take you through an overview of FIPS 199 and how it can help you understand the three categories of impact levels, define terms used in FIPS 199, assess the impact of a cybersecurity threat, and provide best practices for interpreting results and mitigating risk. 

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The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) plays a pivotal role in safeguarding the security of cloud services within the U.S. federal government. An essential element of this program is the Joint Authorization Board (JAB), which is responsible for prioritizing and authorizing cloud offerings offered by cloud providers. 

The JAB prioritization process is a methodical approach to selecting the most impactful CSOs for a JAB Provisional Authorization to Operate (P-ATO). This process holds significance for upholding the integrity of federal cloud services and shaping the future of cloud technology within the government sector.

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Assessments for both StateRAMP and FedRAMP rely on the 3PAO’s understanding of the systems and people that will interact with a specific government agency. With this knowledge, it’s easier to determine where particular requirements begin and where they end. Across both of these frameworks, this concept is known as the “authorization boundary.” 

The authorization boundary serves as a (sometimes physical, sometimes logical, sometimes administrative) fence that delineates the scope of a cloud system’s operations, setting clear boundaries for where assessment and regulatory requirements begin and end. 

Whether you’re a cloud service provider or a government agency representative, this article will shed light on this essential concept and help you understand its impact on the landscape of cloud security.

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