FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program) sets strict guidelines for cloud service providers (CSPs) to ensure the security of federal information. When it comes to Privileged Access Management (PAM), specific requirements ensure that CSPs effectively manage and protect privileged accounts. Here’s a breakdown of key FedRAMP requirements related to PAM:
1. Identification and Authentication (IA Family)
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): All privileged users must use multi-factor authentication for access to sensitive systems and data. This ensures that even if a password is compromised, unauthorized access is prevented.
Unique User Identification: Each privileged account must be uniquely identified and linked to an individual. Shared accounts are prohibited for privileged access.
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Least Privilege: Only the minimum level of access necessary for the job function should be granted to privileged users. This minimizes the risk of excessive access.
Privileged Account Management: CSPs must limit and monitor the use of privileged accounts. Systems must track who is using these accounts, for how long, and for what purposes.
Separation of Duties: Privileged functions should be separated to prevent conflicts of interest or single points of failure. For example, the same individual should not be responsible for both approving and executing sensitive actions.
Audit and Monitoring of Privileged Actions: Actions performed by privileged accounts must be logged and audited regularly to detect any potential abuse or unauthorized activity.
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): FedRAMP mandates the use of RBAC to assign privileges based on job roles. Access to specific resources should be dynamically adjusted as the user’s role changes.
Configuration Baselines for Privileged Access: Systems need to have defined baselines that restrict how and when privileged users can make configuration changes.
Encryption of Privileged Sessions: All privileged access to cloud services must use secure protocols (e.g., SSH, TLS) to encrypt communications and prevent eavesdropping.
Session Timeout: Privileged sessions must automatically timeout after a period of inactivity to reduce the risk of unauthorized use.
Privileged Activity Logging: All privileged actions must be logged, and these logs must be protected from unauthorized modification or deletion.
Audit Trail Retention: FedRAMP requires that logs of privileged activities be retained for a certain period to support forensic investigations if necessary.
Remote Privileged Access Monitoring: Remote privileged access to the cloud environment must be tightly controlled, monitored, and logged.
Privileged Account Restrictions for System Maintenance: Only authorized personnel should have access to perform system maintenance, and their actions must be closely monitored.
Response to Privileged Account Compromise: Cloud providers must have procedures in place to detect, respond to, and mitigate any incidents involving the compromise of privileged accounts.
Privileged User Training: Individuals with privileged access must undergo specific training on security policies, potential threats, and secure usage of privileged accounts.
– Use a PAM solution that integrates with FedRAMP-approved cloud services.
– Ensure continuous monitoring and automated alerting of privileged account use.
– Implement strong reporting and review processes for privileged access audits.
By adhering to these guidelines, CSPs can ensure compliance with FedRAMP standards, protecting both sensitive government data and infrastructure.
Delinea (formerly known as Thycotic and Centrify) is a leader in the Privileged Access Management (PAM) space, providing solutions that align with FedRAMP requirements. Delinea addresses key security and compliance needs for cloud service providers (CSPs) and federal agencies by implementing a robust set of features tailored to meet FedRAMP standards. Here’s how Delinea’s PAM solutions address FedRAMP needs:
1. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for Privileged Users
Compliance with IA Family (Identification and Authentication): Delinea enforces multi-factor authentication for all privileged users, a critical requirement under FedRAMP. This ensures that privileged users can only access systems by authenticating with more than just a password, such as using biometrics, tokens, or time-based one-time passwords (TOTP).
Adaptive MFA: The platform supports adaptive MFA, which increases security by adjusting authentication requirements based on the risk associated with access attempts.
2. Enforcing Least Privilege and Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
Compliance with AC Family (Access Control): Delinea provides fine-grained control over who has access to what, ensuring users are only granted the minimum access required for their roles. It implements Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) to simplify access management and reduce the risk of privilege sprawl.
Dynamic Privilege Elevation: Privileges can be elevated dynamically based on role or time-bound access, further enforcing the principle of least privilege.
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3. Privileged Account Discovery and Lifecycle Management Automated Privileged Account Management: Delinea automates the discovery of privileged accounts, certificates, and secrets across cloud environments. This ensures that all privileged accounts are continuously tracked and managed in line with FedRAMP’s account management and inventory controls.
Credential Rotation: The solution ensures that privileged credentials (passwords, keys, etc.) are regularly rotated, stored securely, and managed to prevent unauthorized access or exposure. -
4. Monitoring, Auditing, and Logging
Compliance with AU Family (Audit and Accountability): Delinea offers detailed session monitoring and recording for all privileged user actions. Every action taken by a privileged account is logged in an immutable audit trail to meet FedRAMP’s rigorous auditing standards.
Real-Time Alerts and Forensic Capabilities: Delinea integrates real-time alerting to notify security teams of any anomalous or suspicious behavior by privileged accounts. This enables faster detection and response to incidents involving potential misuse of privileges.
Session Recording and Auditing: Privileged sessions can be recorded for forensic review, with logs stored securely to ensure they are protected from tampering or deletion.
5. Secure Privileged Sessions and Encryption
Compliance with SC Family (System and Communications Protection): Delinea secures privileged access by enforcing encrypted communication protocols (e.g., SSH, TLS) to protect data transmitted between users and systems. This ensures compliance with FedRAMP’s requirements for protecting system communications from interception.
Just-in-Time Privileged Access: Privileged accounts are granted access only when necessary and for the specific task, with time-based or approval-based restrictions to limit exposure.
Remote Access Monitoring: Delinea’s PAM solution includes secure remote access for privileged users, a key need for cloud service providers. It allows privileged users to securely connect to systems without exposing critical infrastructure to outside threats, meeting FedRAMP’s requirements for secure system maintenance and remote access control.
Privileged Gateway Proxy: This feature enables secure, direct connections to systems without the need for a VPN, ensuring that privileged access is closely controlled and monitored.
Automated Configuration Management: Delinea ensures that privileged access configurations are managed in accordance with FedRAMP’s baseline configuration standards. Privileged user roles and access levels are reviewed and updated as necessary.
Integration with Cloud Platforms: Delinea integrates with cloud services that meet FedRAMP requirements, ensuring seamless management of privileged accounts across AWS GovCloud, Microsoft Azure Government, and other FedRAMP-compliant environments.
Automated Response to Threats: Delinea’s platform integrates with security incident and event management (SIEM) systems to provide automated incident response capabilities. It can trigger workflows to lock or rotate credentials if a privileged account is compromised, in line with FedRAMP’s incident response policies.
Built-In Threat Analytics: By leveraging behavior analytics, Delinea helps identify potential insider threats or compromised accounts, allowing security teams to take proactive measures.
Privileged User Training Tools: Delinea provides tools and dashboards that educate and inform privileged users about proper security practices, ensuring that they understand the importance of secure privilege management. This aligns with FedRAMP’s requirements for security awareness and training for privileged users.
Compliance Dashboards and Reporting: Delinea offers continuous compliance reporting and auditing tools that ensure privileged access policies remain in alignment with FedRAMP requirements. Security teams can generate reports for audits, making it easier to demonstrate compliance during FedRAMP assessments.
Continuous Monitoring of Cloud Services: Delinea’s PAM solution continuously monitors privileged access in cloud environments to detect unauthorized or suspicious activity, providing real-time visibility and alerts.
Delinea’s PAM solution provides an end-to-end approach to solving the challenges of privileged access management in FedRAMP-compliant environments. By offering strong identity controls, encrypted sessions, continuous monitoring, and detailed auditing, it ensures that CSPs meet the stringent security requirements mandated by FedRAMP.
In summary, Delinea solves for FedRAMP needs by:
– Enforcing MFA and least privilege.
– Automating privileged credential management.
– Providing secure remote access.
– Enabling comprehensive auditing and session recording.
– Ensuring continuous compliance reporting.
This makes Delinea a strong choice for organizations needing to comply with FedRAMP while effectively managing privileged access.
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