FedRAMP

Controller Danny Werfel says agencies have been developing inventories and now it’s time to get rid of unneeded real estate. OMB also preparing to kick off cloud computing certification program. And administration’s performance management portal under development.

Agency plans to release a RFI for software-as-a-service in the next week, and a RFQ for infrastructure-as-a-service in the next month. GSA says it has learned from the previous acquisition attempts and will come out with strategies that better fit agency needs, and vendor offerings.

The General Services Administration is reiterating its promise to boost cybersecurity and privacy of cloud computing.

As part of the so-called FEDRAMP program, beginning this fall an interagency group will inspect vendors’ cloud computing facilities to make sure they meet federal security standards. If the group certifies a cloud facility, agencies would be able to sign up for service without having to further inspect the facility.

Has there been a break in the cloud? Symantec recently released its 2010 Break in the Clouds Report, which shows that many CIOs and CISOs in the federal government still have real concerns about security.…

WFED’s Jason Miller reports.

Agencies and vendors soon will be able to submit cloud-based products and services to be certified and accredited once and be available for use by all of government. Version 2 of the FedRAMP security controls should be ready in the next few weeks. Cloud working group still must address several questions about the approval process.

Vendors still must go through the cybersecurity certification and accreditation process before they can offer these infrastructure services. This is the first award under the federal cloud computing initiative. All of these services will be available through the Apps.gov platform.

GSA is ramping up cloud computing, preparing the next two governmentwide contracts for cloud computing. Agency issues notice that a RFP could be issued by early 2011. GSA also considering geospatial platform-as-a-service offering later next year.

Anyone attending the recent ACT-IAC Executive Leadership Conference in Williamsburg, Va., can tell you there was some great information on the future of cloud computing in government being announced and discussed at the event. This includes the news that the General Services Administration has issued a notice on FedBizOpps.gov for e-mail-as-a-service under the software-as-a-service platform. An industry […]

The White House wants common security requirements for agencies in the cloud. So GSA is rolling out FedRAMP. They say it will provide security authorizations and continuous monitoring of cloud systems.