What is M-24-15 and What are the Challenges of Compliance

M-24-15 builds on the FedRAMP Authorization Act of 2022 and introduces new requirements that push federal agencies to modernize their approach to cloud security. The memorandum emphasizes the need for increased adoption of cloud services, particularly Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings, while maintaining stringent security standards. It also calls for the automation of security assessments and the reuse of security documentation to reduce the administrative burden on agencies and cloud service providers (CSPs).[1]

As federal agencies seek to comply with these directives, they face several challenges:

1. Adapting to the Expanding Cloud Marketplace: The cloud landscape has grown significantly, with agencies needing to integrate a variety of SaaS tools to enhance their operations. This expansion requires a flexible and scalable approach to security assessments.
2. Streamlining Security Processes: The push for automation in FedRAMP processes is critical to reducing the time and resources spent on security assessments, allowing agencies to implement cloud solutions more rapidly.
3. Ensuring Robust Security Measures: Despite the need for efficiency, the security of federal information remains paramount. Agencies must adopt tools that not only automate processes but also enhance security.

FedRAMP’s OSCAL Mandate

FedRAMP has adopted OSCAL as the standardized data format for security documentation, recognizing it as a machine-readable format that will drive efficiency in the authorization and continuous monitoring processes. Agencies are expected to implement procedures that enable them to produce and manage materials in OSCAL, aligning with M-24-15’s goals of reducing time and resources spent on security assessments. Moreover, the directive encourages submitting artifacts in machine-readable data formats via application programming interfaces (APIs), further automating and streamlining compliance workflows.

Qmulos’s Q-Compliance: A Strategic Solution Featuring FedRAMP OSCAL SSP Generator

Qmulos’s Q-Compliance platform is designed to address these challenges head-on, providing federal agencies with a comprehensive toolset that aligns with the requirements of M-24-15. Central to this offering are its FedRAMP OSCAL SSP generator and advanced automation capabilities, providing a streamlined path to compliance.

Automation Capabilities

Beyond documentation, Q-Compliance offers robust automation capabilities that extend across the entire security assessment lifecycle. These features allow agencies, CSPs, and industry partners to automate the intake and processing of security data, continuous monitoring, and reporting. This level of automation is aligned with the FedRAMP modernization goals, enabling agencies to rapidly implement and maintain secure cloud solutions without compromising on the thoroughness of their security assessments.

Enabling Compliance and Enhancing Security

By integrating Q-Compliance into their FedRAMP processes, federal agencies, CSPs, and industry partners are better positioned to meet the stringent requirements of M-24-15. The platform’s capabilities streamline compliance efforts and enhance the overall security posture of federal cloud environments. This ensures that agencies can confidently adopt the best commercial cloud services available, secure in the knowledge that they are meeting the highest cybersecurity standards.

Conclusion

As OMB M-24-15 sets the stage for the next era of federal cloud security, the urgency for action is clear. Agencies are required to take the following actions within the specified timeframes after the issuance of this memorandum:

• Within 180 days, issue or update an agency-wide policy that aligns with the requirements of OMB M-24-15.
• Within 180 days, GSA must update FedRAMP’s continuous monitoring processes and documentation to reflect the memorandum’s principles.
• Within 18 months, GSA must build on this work to receive FedRAMP authorization and continuous monitoring artifacts through automated, machine-readable means, to the extent possible.
• Within 24 months, agencies must ensure that their GRC and system-inventory tools can ingest and produce machine-readable authorization and continuous monitoring artifacts using OSCAL, or any succeeding protocol as identified by FedRAMP.

Qmulos’s Q-Compliance stands out as a vital tool for agencies aiming to achieve compliance efficiently and effectively. With its FedRAMP OSCAL generator and comprehensive automation features, Q-Compliance empowers agencies, CSPs, and industry partners to navigate the complexities of FedRAMP authorization while maintaining a strong security framework. This makes Qmulos not just a provider, but a partner in the federal government’s mission to modernize and secure its digital infrastructure. 

[1] https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/management/ofcio/m-24-15-modernizing-the-federal-risk-and-authorization-management-program-fedramp/