FedRAMP compliance: What it means for container security

Key Takeaways

• FedRAMP is a standardized process for ensuring cloud services used by US Federal agencies meet security and compliance requirements.
• For containerized environments, FedRAMP requires hardened images, continuous monitoring, SBOMs, consistent vulnerability scans, and strict inventory/provenance tracking across the entire container lifecycle.
• FIPS-validated cryptography is mandatory for FedRAMP. Many teams leverage FIPS/STIG-hardened images like those from echo to simplify compliance.
• Automation enables continuous scanning, SBOM generation, provenance signing, reporting, and auto-blocking of non-compliant images before they reach production.
• Supply chain tools used by cloud services, like container providers, must also demonstrate FedRAMP-ready architectures and validated cryptographic controls.

What Is FedRAMP Compliance?

FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program) is a mandatory security framework for any cloud or container-based service used by US Federal agencies. Established by the US government in 2011, FedRAMP provides a standardized process for assessing, authorizing, and continuously monitoring cloud services. This ensures these services meet baseline security controls and stay compliant over time.

FedRAMP divides security requirements into three primary risk levels:

• High - for sensitive data with a catastrophic effect if lost
• Moderate - where data loss severely impacts operations
• Low - where loss creates a limited adverse impact

Requirements are based on standards and guidelines developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). 

To achieve FedRAMP, cloud service providers must undergo a rigorous security assessment conducted by an authorized and independent 3PAO (third-party assessment organization) or through a joint authorization board. This is known as FedRAMP Rev. 4 or Rev. 5.

The Trump-Vance administration is introducing FedRamp20X, which is a simplified FedRAMP assessment process. The new process will include more automation, less documentation writing, and the use of community templates. FedRAMP20X aims to eliminate bottlenecks in the authorization process so agencies can adopt new technologies faster and accelerate innovation.

FedRAMP requirements apply both to the providers serving Federal agencies directly and to the vendors within their supply chain. Federal agencies can look for cloud service offerings that have achieved FedRAMP through the FedRAMP marketplace.

FedRAMP Requirements for Containers

Containers introduce unique risks due to their dependency chains, shared kernel architecture, and modularity. When containers are part of a system in scope for FedRAMP, the following requirements apply as part of FedRAMP compliance management.

FedRAMP Security Controls Baseline

The FedRAMP Security Controls Baseline provides the catalog of FedRAMP High, Moderate, Low, and Tailored LI-SaaS baseline security controls. The following container-related controls apply:

1) Access Control

FedRamp requires employing container-based encryption to protect the confidentiality and integrity of information on mobile devices. According to FedRAMP, “Container-based encryption provides a more fine-grained approach to data and information encryption on mobile devices, including encrypting selected data structures such as files, records, or fields.”

2) Continuous Monitoring

Providers must implement a continuous monitoring strategy that includes system-level metrics, frequency, control assessments, ongoing monitoring, results analysis, response actions (like root cause analysis), and reporting. Containers need to be scanned monthly, at minimum.

3) Transmission Confidentiality and Integrity

It is required to protect the confidentiality and integrity of transmitted information. For containers, this means employing encryption techniques to data flows between compute instances.

Vulnerability Scanning Requirements for Containers

The “FedRAMP Vulnerability Scanning Requirements for Containers” documents FedRAMP compliance pertaining to the processes, architecture, and security considerations specific to vulnerability scanning for cloud systems using container technology. It outlines the following FedRAMP container compliance requirements:

1) Hardened Images

• Containers in use must be hardened in accordance with NIST requirements. Non-hardened or general-purpose images may not be used within the authorization boundary.
• Third-party software within hardened containers is allowed.
• It is also allowed to use hardened images or software obtained from a secure repository in groups that share IP addresses and may share volumes.

2) Container Build, Test, and Orchestration Pipeline

Providers are required to use automated container orchestration tools to build, test, and deploy containers to production. However, environments intended for development or testing are not required as part of this system boundary. Containers that do not adhere to these requirements should be automatically blocked from deployment.

3) Vulnerability Scanning for Container Images

All containers must be scanned pre-deployment, preferably as a step in the deployment pipeline. Only containers from images that have been scanned within a 30-day vulnerability scanning window can be actively deployed on the production environment.

4) Security Sensors

It is allowed to deploy independent security sensors alongside production-deployed containers to continuously monitor the security posture. These security sensors should be deployed everywhere containers execute, including within registries and CI/CD pipelines.

5) Registry Monitoring

Container registries should be monitored at the image level. This is intended to prevent images that haven’t been scanned within the 30-day vulnerability window from being deployed.

6) Asset Management and Inventory Reporting for Deployed Containers

A unique asset identifier must be assigned to every class of image which corresponds to one or more production-deployed containers. These image-based asset identifiers need to be documented in the FedRAMP Integrated Inventory Workbook Template.

FIPS and Its Role in FedRAMP Compliance

FIPS defines validated cryptographic requirements that federal systems must use to protect sensitive data. For containerized environments, FIPS dictates which cryptographic modules the platform, container runtime, operating system, and application dependencies are allowed to use. This means teams may need FIPS-validated base images, FIPS-compliant TLS libraries, and runtimes capable of operating in FIPS mode.

It is recommended to use container images that have a FIPS variant by design and can pass formal auditor review. Migrating containers to FIPS is a complex and resource-consuming process. Choosing FIPS images helps fast-track FedRAMP readiness and other compliance workflows that require validated cryptographic modules.

At echo, images are pre-hardened against the DISA Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIG) for general-purpose operating systems. Out of the box, they meet DISA baseline requirements at the OS level, so you start from a compliant foundation instead of building one yourself.

All echo FIPS & STIG images:

• ⁠Operate in a validated cryptographic mode by default
• ⁠⁠Use a CMVP certificate appropriate to the image’s runtime
• Are hardened and configured based on the module’s official security policy and STIG GPOS
• ⁠⁠Are tested to ensure that non-approved algorithms are blocked and fail as expected
• Offer source code (upon request) for AGPL-licensed images, ensuring both license compliance and FIPS validity
• Offer consistency across all images, simplifying compliance audits
• Are delivered as dedicated tags in the platform to clearly distinguish hardened variants

Automating Vulnerability Remediation for Compliance

FedRAMP20X aspires to introduce automation into the authorization process for simplification and acceleration. While Rev. 5 still applies, automation can still reduce manual effort, speed remediation, and improve compliance evidence. Here’s how automation supports the vulnerability remediation requirements:

• Pipeline Integration - Embedding image pulling, registries, vulnerability scanning, SBOM generation, testing, and deployment, policy checks into your CI/CD pipeline ensures that only approved, hardened images make it to the production registry. This satisfies the automated build/test/orchestration requirement.
• Automated Detection: Tools can scan images continuously (pre-deployment and post-deployment) and trigger alerts or block deployment when vulnerabilities exceed defined thresholds. This addresses the 30-day scan requirement and inventory changes.
• Remediation Workflows: Automated ticketing, remediation workflows, prioritisation based on CVSS thresholds, and trackers can accelerate patching and produce evidence for audits. The faster you react to high-severity CVEs, the more aligned you are with FedRAMP expectations.
• SBOM / Provenance Automation: Automatically generating SBOMs and build attestations ensures that every container image has traceability from source to deployment. This helps with supply-chain controls and audit readiness.

Continuous Monitoring & Reporting: Automation enables monthly vulnerability/inventory data exports, dashboards, and compliance reports that satisfy reporting requirements.

The FedRAMP Container Security Checklist

Use this checklist to validate whether your containerized environment aligns with FedRAMP (Rev.4/Rev.5) and the emerging FedRAMP20X requirements.

1. Baseline FedRAMP Requirements

Security Categorization

• Map your system to FedRAMP Low / Moderate / High.
• Validate NIST 800-53 control inheritance and gaps for your supply chain

2. FIPS-Validated Cryptography

• Ensure platform, runtime, OS, libraries, TLS implementations operate in FIPS mode.
• Ensure base images use a validated CMVP certificate.

3. Use Hardened & STIG-Aligned Images like echo

• Ensure images meet DISA STIG or equivalent hardening requirements.
• Ensure hardened variants are clearly tagged and traceable.
• Document third-party software inside hardened containers.
• Automatically block general-purpose, unverified, or public images without vetting.

4. SBOM & Provenance

• Ensure SBOMs are generated for every build.
• Ensure provenance is signed for each build.
• Ensure SBOM and attestations are stored in an auditable system.

5. Image Scanning (30-Day Window)

• Automated container image scanning pre-deployment and monthly.
• Automatically block images older than 30 days without scanning.

6. Build, Test, Deploy Pipeline Controls

• Automate CI/CD controls for hardening, image signing, policy rules, SBOM creation, FIPS/STIG variants, and vulnerability thresholds.

7. Orchestration Logging

• Automatically retain build logs, deployment logs, and policy decision points.

8. Runtime & Continuous Monitoring

• Monitor containers, host OS, network flows, registries
• Conduct monthly vulnerability reporting

9. Optional: Security Sensors

• Place sensors on hosts, clusters, registries, CI/CD
• Inspect CVEs, anomalies, exploits and cryptographic compliance

10. Transmission Confidentiality

• Ensure encrypted communication between containers, services and nodes.

11. Inventory & Asset Management

• Use unique asset IDs for every class of image
• Document in the FedRAMP Integrated Inventory Workbook.

12. Inventory Reporting

• Create monthly reports for SBOMs, vulnerabilities, changelogs, and baseline drift

13. Vulnerability Management

• Remediate high/critical CVEs within FDA-aligned SLAs.
• Use hardened images that remediate vulnerabilities pre-pulling.

14. Automated Remediation

• Integrate tools for auto-patching, automated rebuilds, and SBOM updates

15. Compliance Evidence & Documentation

Maintain:

• Hardening documentation
• FIPS module validation
• Supply-chain logs
• Image lineage records
• Monthly vulnerability scan reports
• CI/CD policy-as-code configurations
• Incident response reports

FAQs

Which container security tools are best suited for FedRAMP compliance?

Tools that scan container images or provide hardened images, generate SBOMs, integrate with CI/CD pipelines, enforce deployment policies, and support registry monitoring. Tools like echo offer FIPS encryption, tools for signed provenance, CVE‐reporting dashboards, asset inventory, and audit-report exports.

How does automated remediation support FedRAMP goals?

Automated remediation accelerates the patching of vulnerabilities. This reduces exposure and ensures that only compliant images are deployed. Images like echo, which are automatically patched and hardened for you, are a great way to enable developers to start with a clean foundation. 

Can open source tools meet FedRAMP requirements?

It’s possible, if they are properly configured, integrated into automated pipelines, produce requisite outputs (e.g., SBOMs, signed images, monthly reports), and enable retaining audit evidence. However, the burden of proof and documentation is higher, and providers must work harder to validate baselines (hardening), ensure provenance, and scan SLAs, etc. This is an ongoing maintenance process, since OSS images are inherently vulnerable, which can put compliance at risk.