// THREAT DETECTION AND DATA PRIVACY TERM
FISMA
The Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) is a United States law that requires federal agencies to develop, document, and implement a program to secure their information systems. It sets the standards for protecting government data and infrastructure from cyber threats.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
FISMA (Federal Information Security Management Act) is a U.S. federal law mandating a risk-based cybersecurity framework for federal agencies and their contractors to protect government information systems and assets. Compliance is often demonstrated through the NIST Risk Management Framework (RMF), leading to an Authority to Operate (ATO) for specific systems.
BACKGROUND
The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) is an assessment framework and assessor certification program designed for a variety of standards published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- Federal Information Security Modernization Act
- NIST RMF
- federal cybersecurity compliance
- A&A
- C&A
- ATO process
- government IT security
USAGE NOTE
FISMA compliance is a mandatory requirement for any contractor or vendor providing IT products or services to the U.S. federal government.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to FISMA.
Developer of Xacta, a cyber risk management and compliance automation platform used by U.S. federal agencies and the intelligence community to manage the Risk Management Framework (RMF) and automate FISMA compliance processes.
Provides vulnerability management and cyber exposure platforms like Tenable.sc, which are used by federal agencies to continuously scan for vulnerabilities, assess compliance, and provide reporting necessary to meet FISMA requirements.
Develops a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) and data analytics platform used extensively by government agencies for log aggregation, continuous monitoring, and security event analysis, which are core components of a FISMA program.
Operates AWS GovCloud, a cloud environment designed to meet the stringent security requirements of U.S. government agencies, including FISMA High impact levels. AWS provides services and tools like Security Hub to help customers maintain compliance.
Offers Azure Government, a dedicated cloud platform for U.S. government agencies that provides services meeting FISMA compliance standards. Microsoft develops tools like Microsoft Sentinel to help agencies secure workloads and automate compliance reporting.
A U.S. federal agency that develops the foundational cybersecurity standards and guidelines, such as the Risk Management Framework (RMF) and Special Publication 800-53, which provide the mandatory security controls and framework for FISMA implementation.
Develops the Okta Identity Cloud, providing identity and access management (IAM) solutions. Its Okta for Government offering helps federal agencies meet FISMA requirements for user authentication, access control, and multi-factor authentication (MFA).
Provides a Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) platform that helps federal agencies automate the process of managing controls, policies, and risk assessments to demonstrate and maintain continuous compliance with FISMA regulations.