databrackets is now recognized as a FedRAMP Third-Party Assessment Organization (3PAO). We have joined a select group of A2LA-accredited organizations authorized to conduct independent FedRAMP security assessments for Cloud Service Providers seeking FedRAMP Certification.
This is a milestone we have worked toward for years, and we couldn’t be more excited to share it. Earning FedRAMP 3PAO recognition is one of the most demanding accreditation pathways in federal cloud security — and completing it reflects the deep technical expertise, operational rigor, and independence standards our team has built across more than a decade of cybersecurity compliance work.
The journey to 3PAO recognition is a genuine multi-year commitment. The accreditation body for FedRAMP 3PAOs is the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA), and before an organization can even be considered for FedRAMP recognition, A2LA requires it to first spend at least one year demonstrating sustained performance in the Cybersecurity Inspection Body Program — a rigorous track governed by ISO/IEC 17020 that establishes foundational technical competence in cybersecurity assessment. We did the work, earned that accreditation and only then could we progress to the FedRAMP-specific requirements.
The FedRAMP stage raises the bar further. A2LA evaluated our compliance with the R311 requirements — a FedRAMP-specific policy that governs organizational independence, personnel qualifications, and assessment quality. Our assessors met defined experience, certification, and annual training requirements. Our penetration testers completed a real-time technical proficiency exercise through BCR Cyber (formerly Baltimore Cyber Range), where assessors are tested against a live simulated cloud environment — a requirement unique to FedRAMP 3PAOs. And under the FedRAMP Authorization Act, we now submit an annual FOCI (Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence) Declaration, with any changes reported within 48 hours, affirming that our assessments remain free from undue foreign influence.
Becoming a 3PAO isn’t a credential you earn once and keep forever. A2LA conducts a favorable annual review and a full on-site reassessment every two years to maintain our recognition. We embrace accountability and it’s exactly the kind of ongoing scrutiny that makes a 3PAO designation meaningful to the federal agencies relying on our work.
As a recognized 3PAO, we now offer the full range of FedRAMP 3PAO assessment services — including Mock Assessments and Initial Certification Assessments, as well as separate FedRAMP Advisory Services for organizations we do not assess. FedRAMP’s independence requirements are clear: a 3PAO cannot serve as both assessor and advisor to the same organization. This ensures that there is no conflict of interest and all parties can remain objective. It’s also what makes the program trustworthy, and our assessments credible.
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Why choose databrackets for FedRAMP
1. We Hold Accreditations Across Three Federal and International Programs
Very few organizations hold concurrent accreditations as a FedRAMP 3PAO, a CMMC C3PAO, and an ISO 27001 Certification Body. databrackets does. We are an A2LA-accredited 3PAO for FedRAMP, an authorized C3PAO for CMMC, and an accredited ISO 27001 Certification Body. Each of those designations requires independent accreditation, demonstrating organizational competence and impartiality — not self-declared expertise.
That combination matters practically: CSPs pursuing FedRAMP often have parallel obligations under CMMC, SOC 2, HIPAA, ISO 27001, or NIST SP 800-171. Our familiarity with all of those frameworks means we understand where controls overlap, where they don’t, and how to scope your FedRAMP work without duplicating effort you’ve already put into other compliance programs.
2. Our Advisory Work Is Informed by What We See as Assessors
There’s a meaningful difference between advisors who understand FedRAMP theoretically and those who have conducted assessments and reviewed the certification packages that pass — and the ones that don’t. Our team operates in both roles, and that experience directly shapes the quality of our advisory work.
We know which SSP control descriptions generate assessor findings. We know what authorizing officials scrutinize in a Risk Exposure Table. We know which ConMon gaps tend to surface in annual assessments. That operational knowledge benefits every CSP we advise, because our recommendations are grounded in how assessments actually run — not in how the documentation says they should.
The independence wall still stands: we never act as both 3PAO and advisor for the same organization. But despite that rule, we bring 3PAO-rigor in both roles.
3. We Scope and Sequence Work to Fit Your Business Reality
FedRAMP is expensive and time-consuming. CSPs that enter the process without a realistic plan — an authorization boundary that’s too large, a target certification class that’s higher than necessary, a ConMon program that isn’t sustainable — often spend more than they need to and take longer than they planned.
We bring a pragmatic lens to every engagement. That means right-sizing your authorization boundary, choosing the appropriate certification class for your actual use case, sequencing remediation to avoid blocking your assessment timeline, and building ConMon processes your team can actually sustain. We serve IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS providers across a range of industries and scales, and our approach reflects that range — not a one-size-fits-all compliance checklist.
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Our services as a FedRAMP 3PAO
The FedRAMP certification process is technically demanding and unforgiving of poorly prepared packages. As a recognized 3PAO, databrackets conducts the independent security assessments that federal agencies and the FedRAMP PMO rely on to make certification decisions. Our 3PAO engagements span three distinct phases of the certification lifecycle.
1. Mock Assessment
A FedRAMP certification package that fails PMO review creates significant delays and costs. Our Mock Assessment runs CSPs through the actual FedRAMP assessment methodology — control testing, evidence review, and findings analysis — against your live environment before the official assessment begins. It is like having a simulation of the formal evaluation. The goal is a realistic picture of where gaps exist and how serious they are, giving your team time to remediate without the pressure of a formal evaluation timeline.
One important note: because 3PAO independence rules prohibit us from providing implementation guidance to an organization we are assessing, the Mock Assessment produces findings only. CSPs have to work with a separate advisory partner to address those findings.
Learn more about our FedRAMP 3PAO Assessment Services.
2. Initial Security Assessment
This is the formal assessment that produces the certification package your sponsoring agency uses to make its own authorization decision. Under the current FedRAMP Rev. 5 baselines — and the new Certification Class labels introduced in NTC-0004, with full implementation coming in the FedRAMP Consolidated Rules for 2026 (CR26) — our assessors evaluate 156 controls at Class B (Low), 323 at Class C (Moderate), or 410 at Class D (High), plus any FedRAMP-specific parameters layered on top of the NIST SP 800-53 baseline. Every assessment covers all required deliverables:
- Security Assessment Plan (SAP) — defines testing scope, methodology, assessment boundaries, and procedures
- Security Assessment Report (SAR) — documents all control findings with risk ratings and a Risk Exposure Table
- Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) — tracks identified gaps, risk ratings, and remediation timelines
- Penetration Testing Report — covers all six mandatory FedRAMP attack vectors, with findings mapped to MITRE ATT&CK
Learn more about our FedRAMP 3PAO Assessment Services.
3. Continuous Monitoring & Annual Assessments
FedRAMP Certification doesn’t end on the day an agency grants its ATO. FedRAMP’s Continuous Monitoring program creates ongoing obligations: monthly vulnerability scanning across OS, database, web, and container layers; monthly reporting to the Authorizing Official; POA&M updates as new findings emerge; and an annual 3PAO assessment of a control subset determined by the Annual Assessment Controls Selection Worksheet. We provide structured, ongoing 3PAO support for these annual assessments and help CSPs stay ahead of the documentation burden that catches many FedRAMP- certified systems off guard.
Schedule a Meeting to discuss the best options for your organization and receive your quote.
Our FedRAMP Advisory Services
FedRAMP certification packages fail or stall for two primary reasons: authorization boundaries are defined too broadly or too narrowly, and control documentation doesn’t hold up under 3PAO scrutiny. Our advisory services are built around those two failure points, because our team has seen both problems.
CSPs who work with us in the advisory role benefit from 3PAO-grade insight into what actually matters during an assessment.
Because a 3PAO cannot advise and assess the same organization, we offer these services exclusively to CSPs we are not engaged to assess for FedRAMP Certification. That boundary is non-negotiable, but it means that CSPs who work with us in the advisory role benefit from 3PAO-grade insight into what actually matters during an assessment — without compromising anyone’s independence.
1. Gap Analysis
Most CSPs entering FedRAMP significantly underestimate the gap between their current security posture and what FedRAMP Certification requires. Our gap analysis gives you a baseline before you commit to a timeline or budget. We evaluate your control implementation against the applicable FedRAMP Rev. 5 baselines, verify your authorization boundary and data flows, flag any FIPS 140 cryptographic compliance issues, and deliver a prioritized remediation roadmap that distinguishes quick wins from multi-sprint efforts. The output is a realistic plan, not an aspirational one.
Learn more about our FedRAMP Advisory Services.
2. System Security Plan (SSP) Development
The SSP is the document that gets scrutinized most heavily during a 3PAO assessment. A poorly constructed SSP — vague control descriptions, an overstretched authorization boundary, missing attachments — are some of the common issues where certification timelines slip. We build SSPs that are written for assessors: clear, evidence-aligned, and consistent across all required components. This includes:
- Complete control narratives for all Rev. 5 baseline controls at your target certification class
- Authorization boundary definition with supporting network diagrams and data flow diagrams
- Ports, Protocols, and Services table and FedRAMP Integrated Inventory Workbook
- FIPS 140 cryptographic module validation documentation
- System interconnections, external services inventory, and leveraged FedRAMP certifications
Learn more about our FedRAMP Advisory Services.
3. Policy & Plan Development
FedRAMP assessors test your policies and plans for substance, not just existence. Generic templates that haven’t been tailored to your specific cloud environment and service model typically generate findings. We develop implementation-ready documentation that maps to your actual architecture, operating procedures, and service boundaries, including:
- Configuration Management Plan — baseline configurations, change control, and configuration monitoring
- Incident Response Plan — handling procedures, FedRAMP reporting timelines, and stakeholder communications
- Contingency Plan — backup procedures, disaster recovery, business continuity, and annual testing
- Supply Chain Risk Management Plan — vendor dependencies, third-party risk management
- Security policies for all applicable NIST SP 800-53 control families
Learn more about our FedRAMP Advisory Services.
4. Continuous Monitoring (ConMon) Advisory
Achieving FedRAMP Certification is the beginning of an ongoing compliance commitment. Many CSPs reach their agency ATO and then struggle to maintain it because they haven’t built the internal processes to sustain ConMon obligations at scale. We help you design and run a ConMon program that works operationally — monthly OS, database, web, and container vulnerability scanning; POA&M management and aging control; significant change request (SCR) procedures; and preparation for your annual 3PAO assessment. We also manage the monthly reporting deliverables that go to your Authorizing Official, so your team isn’t scrambling each month to compile evidence.
Schedule a Meeting to discuss the best options for your organization and receive your quote.
