FedRAMP — Acronyms & Glossary (A–Z) – Paramify

This article consolidates FedRAMP-specific acronyms and key glossary terms used in Paramify. It supports questions related to FedRAMP assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring (e.g., SSP, ATO, POA&M, vulnerability status terms).

Acronyms

#	Acronym	Full Name	Definition
1	3PAO	Third Party Assessment Organization	An independent assessor authorized to evaluate cloud systems for FedRAMP compliance.
2	A2LA	American Association of Laboratory Accreditation	An accreditation body that authorizes FedRAMP third-party assessment organizations.
3	AA	Annual Assessment	A required yearly FedRAMP security assessment after authorization.
4	AO	Authorizing Official	A senior official who accepts risk and grants an authorization under RMF and FedRAMP.
5	APL	Approved Products List (DoD)	A Department of Defense list of approved products for federal use.
6	ATO	Authority to Operate	An official approval allowing a system to operate after risk review under RMF.
7	BOD	Binding Operational Directive (DHS)	A mandatory cybersecurity directive federal agencies must follow.
8	BPA	Blanket Purchase Agreement	A federal contracting mechanism for recurring purchases.
9	C&A	Certification and Accreditation	A legacy federal process for system authorization prior to RMF.
10	CA	Security Assessment and Authorization	The NIST control family governing system assessment and authorization.
11	CAP	Corrective Action Plan	A plan describing how identified security issues will be remediated.
12	CDM	Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation	A DHS program supporting continuous federal cybersecurity monitoring.
13	CIS	Control Implementation Summary	A summary explaining how security controls are implemented in a system.
14	CO	Contracting Officer	A federal official authorized to enter into contracts.
15	COR	Contracting Officer's Representative	An individual designated to oversee contract performance.
16	CONOPS	Concept of Operations	A description of how a system operates to meet mission needs.
17	CONUS	Continental United States	The contiguous 48 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.
18	COOP	Continuity of Operations Plan	A plan to maintain essential functions during disruptions.
19	COTS	Commercial Off-The-Shelf	Commercially available products used by federal systems.
20	CSO	Cloud Service Offering	A specific cloud product or service evaluated under FedRAMP.
21	CSP	Cloud Service Provider	An organization offering cloud services subject to FedRAMP authorization.
22	CTW	Control Tailoring Workbook	A FedRAMP tool for selecting and tailoring security controls.
23	CUI	Controlled Unclassified Information	Sensitive federal information requiring protection.
24	DAA	Designated Approving Authority	A legacy role equivalent to today's Authorizing Official.
25	DFR	Detailed Finding Review	A review of assessment findings during FedRAMP evaluations.
26	DHS	Department of Homeland Security	A U.S. department overseeing federal cybersecurity programs.
27	DISA	Defense Information Systems Agency	A DoD agency providing IT and cybersecurity services.
28	DoD	Department of Defense	The U.S. federal department responsible for national defense.
29	DR	Deviation Request	A request to deviate from standard FedRAMP requirements.
30	EA	Enterprise Architecture (OMB)	A framework for aligning IT systems with agency missions.
31	FAR	Federal Acquisition Regulation	The primary regulation governing federal procurement.
32	FDCCI	Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative	A program to reduce and optimize federal data centers.
33	FED	Federal Government	The national government of the United States.
34	FedRAMP	Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program	The U.S. government program for authorizing cloud services.
35	FFRDC	Federally Funded Research and Development Center	An organization supporting federal research needs.
36	FICAM	Federal Identity, Credential, and Access Management	A federal framework for identity and access management.
37	FIPS	Federal Information Processing Standards	Mandatory federal standards for security and interoperability.
38	FIPS PUB	Federal Information Processing Standard Publication	An official publication of FIPS requirements.
39	FISMA (2002)	Federal Information Security Management Act	U.S. law establishing federal security requirements.
40	FISMA (2014)	Federal Information Security Modernization Act	Updated legislation modernizing FISMA requirements.
41	FOC	Final Operating Capability	The point at which a system is fully operational.
42	FOIA	Freedom of Information Act	A law providing public access to federal records.
43	FPS	Federal Protective Service	A DHS agency providing physical security for federal facilities.
44	FRA	Federal Records Act	A law governing federal record management.
45	GFI	Government Furnished Information	Information provided by the government to contractors.
46	GSA	General Services Administration	A federal agency supporting government operations and procurement.
47	GSS	General Support System	A system providing common services to multiple applications.
48	HSPD	Homeland Security Presidential Directive	Presidential directives related to homeland security.
49	IAA	Inter-Agency Agreement	An agreement between federal agencies.
50	IAO	Independent Assessment Organization	An organization conducting independent system assessments.
51	IAW	In Accordance With	Indicates compliance with a requirement or standard.
52	IG	Inspector General	An official responsible for audits and oversight.
53	IOC	Initial Operating Capability	The first stage of operational readiness.
54	ISA	Interconnection Security Agreement	An agreement governing system interconnections.
55	ISCP	Information System Contingency Plan	A plan for system recovery during disruptions.
56	ISSO	Information System Security Officer	A role responsible for system security oversight.
57	ITCP	IT Contingency Plan	A plan for restoring IT services after disruption.
58	JAB	Joint Authorization Board (FedRAMP)	A board granting provisional FedRAMP authorizations.
59	LI-SaaS	Low Impact Software as a Service	A FedRAMP category for low-impact SaaS systems.
60	MAX	MAX.gov (Secure Repository)	A federal platform for secure collaboration.
61	MTIPS	Managed Trusted IP Service	A DHS-approved secure network service.
62	NARA	National Archives and Records Administration	The agency overseeing federal records.
63	NIAP	National Information Assurance Partnership	A program for product security evaluations.
64	NISP	National Industrial Security Program	A program protecting classified information in industry.
65	NIST	National Institute of Standards and Technology	The agency publishing federal security standards.
66	NIST SP	NIST Special Publication	Official NIST guidance documents.
67	NPPD	National Protection and Programs Directorate	A former DHS cybersecurity directorate.
68	NTTAA	National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act	A law promoting use of standards.
69	OMB	Office of Management and Budget	The office overseeing federal budgeting and policy.
70	OGC	Office of the General Counsel	An office providing legal guidance.
71	OIG	Office of the Inspector General	An office providing audits and investigations.
72	OR	Operational Requirement	A requirement necessary to support operations.
73	OSCAL	Open Security Controls Assessment Language	A machine-readable format for security controls.
74	P-ATO	Provisional Authority to Operate	A temporary FedRAMP authorization issued by the JAB.
75	PA	Provisional Authorization	A preliminary authorization decision.
76	PDS	Protective Distribution System	A system protecting sensitive communications.
77	PIA	Privacy Impact Assessment	An assessment of privacy risks in a system.
78	PL	Public Law	A law enacted by Congress.
79	PMO	Program Management Office	An office managing programs and projects.
80	POA&M	Plan of Action and Milestones (also referred to as POAMs)	A document tracking security remediation activities. In Paramify, POA&Ms are managed in the Monitoring > Issues section of each program.
81	RAR	Readiness Assessment Report	A report determining FedRAMP readiness.
82	RMF	Risk Management Framework	A NIST process used in FedRAMP to manage system security risk.
83	ROB	Rules of Behavior	Acceptable use rules for system users.
84	ROE	Rules of Engagement	Guidelines governing actions during operations.
85	SAF	Security Assessment Framework	A framework supporting security assessments.
86	SAP	Security Assessment Plan	A plan describing how a security assessment will be performed.
87	SAR	Security Assessment Report	A report documenting assessment results.
88	SAS	Security Assessment Support	Supporting materials for assessments.
89	SCR	Significant Change Request	A request for a change impacting system security.
90	SORN	System of Records Notice	A public notice describing a federal system of records.
91	TAA	Trade Agreements Act	A law governing federal procurement sourcing.
92	TIC	Trusted Internet Connection	A federal network security initiative.
93	TICAP	Trusted Internet Connection Access Providers	Approved TIC service providers.
94	TTS	Technology Transformation Services	A GSA group modernizing federal IT.
95	US	United States	The federal nation-state.
96	US-CERT	United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team	A federal incident response organization.
97	USC	United States Code	The codification of federal laws.
98	USGCB	United States Government Configuration Baseline	Standard secure configuration baselines for federal systems.

Glossary

#	Term	Definition
1	Accepted Vulnerability	A vulnerability the provider does not plan to fully remediate, or will not remediate within FedRAMP's maximum overdue period.
2	Account Data	Data about a customer's account with the CSP, such as billing, contact, and usage information.
3	Adaptive	A type of significant change that is not routine and does not introduce major security risk, typically requiring limited assessment updates.
4	Agency	A U.S. federal agency as defined in 44 U.S.C. § 3502(1).
5	Agency Authority	An authorization to operate issued by a specific federal department or agency.
6	All Necessary Parties	All stakeholders directly affected by a FedRAMP authorization, plus others as applicable.
7	Authorization Data	The information FedRAMP requires to assess and authorize a cloud service offering, including the authorization package.
8	Authorization Package	The core set of documents used to make a FedRAMP authorization decision (e.g., SSP, SAR, POA&M, and supporting evidence).
9	Catastrophic Adverse Effect	A severe CIA impact, such as 24+ hours major service degradation or unauthorized access to most federal information in the offering.
10	Cloud Access	The act of connecting to or gaining access to a cloud service.
11	Cloud Auditor	A party that independently assesses cloud services for performance and security.
12	Cloud Broker	An entity that manages cloud service use and delivery and negotiates relationships between providers and consumers.
13	Cloud Carrier	The intermediary that provides connectivity and transport between cloud providers and cloud consumers.
14	Cloud Consumer	A person or organization that uses cloud services and has a relationship with a cloud provider.
15	Cloud Distribution	The movement of cloud data between cloud providers and cloud consumers.
16	Cloud Provider	The organization responsible for delivering a cloud service to consumers.
17	Cloud Service	The functions required to deliver, manage, and operate cloud services for customers.
18	Cloud Service Offering	A specific packaged cloud product or service from a CSP that is assessed and authorized under FedRAMP.
19	Community Cloud	A cloud deployment model for exclusive use by a defined community of organizations with shared requirements.
20	Configured by Customer	A control implementation where the customer must apply configuration settings to meet the requirement.
21	Container	A packaged runtime environment that includes an application and its dependencies needed to run it.
22	CSA STAR Certification	A third-party cloud security certification based on ISO/IEC 27001 and the CSA Cloud Controls Matrix.
23	Customer Data	Data that belongs to the cloud consumer and is processed or stored within the cloud service offering.
24	Data Portability	The ability to move data between systems without needing to recreate it or significantly modify the application.
25	Digital Authentication	The process of establishing confidence in a user's identity through digital authentication methods.
26	Drift	Unapproved or unintended changes that cause resources to deviate from the assessed configuration or intended state.
27	False Positive Vulnerability	A reported vulnerability that is not actually present in an exploitable operating state.
28	Federal Information	Information created, collected, processed, maintained, or used by or for the U.S. federal government.
29	FedRAMP Accelerated	A FedRAMP initiative to reduce authorization timelines; now aligned with the JAB authorization process.
30	FedRAMP Authorization Package	The body of evidence used for FedRAMP authorization decisions (at minimum SSP, SAR, POA&M, and ConMon plan).
31	FedRAMP Connect	The FedRAMP process used to evaluate and prioritize CSPs for JAB authorization work.
32	FedRAMP In-Process	A status for CSPs actively working toward FedRAMP authorization with the JAB or an agency.
33	FedRAMP P-ATO	A provisional authorization approved by the JAB, pending a final ATO by an agency customer.
34	FedRAMP Ready	A designation showing a CSP is prepared to pursue authorization, typically supported by an approved RAR from a 3PAO.
35	FedRAMP Tailored	A FedRAMP approach that tailors requirements for Low-Impact SaaS (LI-SaaS).
36	Fixed Endpoints	Stationary devices that provide access to cloud services, usually using a single primary connection method.
37	Fully Mitigated Vulnerability	A detected vulnerability where exploitation likelihood or impact has been reduced to negligible levels.
38	Government Only Cloud	A deployment model where services are shared only among government organizations/agencies with similar requirements.
39	Handle	Any action performed on information (e.g., access, create, store, transmit, process, disclose, dispose).
40	Hybrid Cloud	A deployment model combining two or more cloud infrastructures that remain distinct but enable portability between them.
41	Information Security Management System (ISMS)	A structured set of policies and procedures used to manage information security risk.
42	Impact Categorization	A significant change that may alter the overall impact level (e.g., Class B to Class C) for the offering.
43	Information Resource	Any information and related resources (people, equipment, funding, and IT) involved in the service offering.
44	Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)	A cloud model where customers provision compute, storage, and networking and manage OS and applications.
45	Inherited from Pre-existing Authorization	A control implementation inherited from another already-authorized system or provider.
46	Interim Requirement	A temporary FedRAMP requirement used during pilots or beta periods before formal release.
47	Internet-reachable Vulnerability (IRV)	A vulnerability that could be triggered by payloads originating from the public internet.
48	Interoperability	The ability of systems to communicate, execute, or exchange data under defined conditions.
49	ISO 27001	An international standard specifying requirements for an information security management system (ISMS).
50	JavaScript Object Notation	A lightweight, human-readable data format for structured data exchange.
51	Known Exploited Vulnerability (KEV)	A vulnerability listed by CISA as known to be actively exploited.
52	Likely	A reasonable probability based on context.
53	Likely Exploitable Vulnerability (LEV)	A not-fully-mitigated vulnerability that a likely threat actor could realistically exploit to cause harm.
54	Limited Adverse Effect	A minor CIA impact, such as limited service degradation or small-scale unauthorized access.
55	Machine-readable	Data in a format that computers can process without human intervention while preserving meaning.
56	Media Access Control (MAC) Address	A unique hardware identifier assigned to a network interface.
57	Metadata	Data about usage of the service (e.g., resource names, tags, utilization details) rather than the content itself.
58	Metering	Measuring resource usage appropriate to the service (e.g., storage, compute, bandwidth, users).
59	Mobile Endpoints	Portable devices used to access cloud services, often with multiple connection methods.
60	Monitoring and Reporting	Observing resources and operations and producing performance or security reports.
61	Negligible Adverse Effect	A very small CIA impact, such as minor inconvenience or small, limited degradation.
62	NSO	A FedRAMP Tailored LI-SaaS control category meaning the control does not impact the security of the SaaS.
63	OTG-SESS-006	An OWASP test case focused on verifying logout functionality.
64	Overdue Vulnerability	A vulnerability the provider intends to remediate but has not addressed within FedRAMP required/recommended timeframes.
65	Partially Mitigated Vulnerability	A vulnerability where risk has been reduced but exploitation risk still exists and the issue is still detected.
66	Performance Audit	An evaluation of how well a cloud system meets defined performance criteria.
67	Persistently	Occurring repeatedly over time, not necessarily continuously, but with an expected recurring pattern.
68	Physical Resource Layer	The physical hardware and facilities used to provide cloud services.
69	Platform as a Service (PaaS)	A cloud model where customers deploy applications on provider-managed infrastructure and platforms.
70	Portability	The ability to move applications or data between environments with minimal changes.
71	Potential Adverse Impact	The estimated total harm that could result if a vulnerability is exploited within the offering.
72	Privacy	Proper handling of personal information and PII across its lifecycle (collection, use, sharing, retention, disposal).
73	Privacy-Impact Audit	An evaluation of a cloud system against defined privacy-impact criteria.
74	Private Cloud	A deployment model dedicated to a single organization/agency.
75	Promptly	Without unnecessary delay (timing depends on context, but sooner improves outcomes).
76	Provided by Customer	A control implementation where the customer must provide hardware/software to meet the requirement.
77	Provisioning / Configuration	Preparing and configuring cloud resources so services can be delivered to users.
78	Public Cloud	A deployment model serving multiple organizations/agency clients on shared infrastructure.
79	Rapid Provisioning	Automatically deploying resources based on requested capabilities.
80	Regularly	Occurring on a consistent, predictable schedule, ideally automated and documented.
81	Remediated Vulnerability	A vulnerability that has been eliminated and is no longer detected.
82	Resource Abstraction and Control Layer	The virtualization layer (hypervisors, VMs, virtual storage) enabling cloud infrastructure.
83	Resource Change	Adjusting configurations or resource assignments for repairs, upgrades, or adding nodes.
84	Routine Recurring	A significant change type that happens regularly as part of operations or vulnerability management.
85	Security	Protecting information and systems from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction.
86	Security Audit	An evaluation of a cloud system against defined security criteria.
87	Serious Adverse Effect	A significant CIA impact, such as 12+ hours unpredictable service degradation or unauthorized access to a minority of federal info.
88	Service Aggregation	Combining multiple services into a unified offering while managing integration and data security.
89	Service Arbitrage	Dynamically selecting among multiple services to optimize outcomes while abstracting providers from the consumer.
90	Service Consumption	The act of using a cloud service (often mediated by a broker).
91	Service Deployment	Activities required to make a cloud service available to customers.
92	Service Intermediation	Enhancing a service by adding value (e.g., security, identity, monitoring) between provider and consumer.
93	Service Provider Corporate	Controls implemented at the CSP corporate level.
94	Service Provider Hybrid	Controls implemented using both CSP corporate controls and system-specific controls.
95	Service Provider System Specific	Controls implemented specifically for a particular system rather than corporate-wide.
96	Shared	A control where responsibility is split between the CSP and the customer.
97	Significant Change	A change likely to substantively affect a system's security or privacy posture.
98	SOC 2	An AICPA assurance framework evaluating controls across Trust Services Criteria (security, availability, confidentiality, processing integrity, privacy).
99	Software as a Service (SaaS)	A cloud model where software is hosted by a provider and accessed over the internet.
100	Stratum-1 Time Server	An NTP server directly connected to a reference clock and used as a primary time source.
101	Support and Administrator Data	Data used by CSP support/admin staff for operations (e.g., logs, alerts, error reports).
102	Support Team	The FedRAMP team that responds to messages sent to the FedRAMP support inbox.
103	Threat	An adversarial force or event that could negatively affect confidentiality, integrity, or availability.
104	Third-party Information Resource	Any information resource not fully included within the scope of the assessed offering.
105	Threat Actor	An entity that carries out malicious activity.
106	Threat Agent	The mechanism or method used to deliver a threat (e.g., malware, phishing, exploit).
107	Transformative	A significant change type that introduces major security risk and typically requires deep assessment and documentation updates.
108	Trust Center	A secure repository for storing and sharing authorization data that meets FedRAMP sharing requirements.
109	Validation and Verification	Validation confirms a solution meets needs; verification confirms it meets requirements/specifications.
110	Vulnerability	A weakness that could be exploited to negatively affect confidentiality, integrity, or availability.
111	Vulnerability Detection	The process of discovering and identifying vulnerabilities and affected resources.
112	Vulnerability Response	The process of tracking, evaluating, mitigating, remediating, reporting, and managing vulnerabilities.

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