Today’s news is dominated by cyberattacks as digitalization increases security threats for both the public and private sectors. A significant U.S. information technology company, SolarWinds, suffered a security breach in 2020, which exposed the internal systems of multiple commercial companies and governmental organizations.1
Through flaws in its system, hackers were able to access at least 30,000 Microsoft Exchange email accounts in March of this year.2 The largest gasoline pipeline in the United States had to be shut down by Colonial Pipeline a few months later as a result of a ransomware assault.3
Data protection is a crucial factor for product manufacturers as they switch to cloud-based solutions in light of the increase in cyberattacks. Companies in the defense and aerospace industries are particularly vulnerable to export control laws (such ITAR and EAR), which demand certain security precautions for technical data. FedRAMP cybersecurity standards are quite strict, and they apply to businesses who engage with the US government and cloud-based data.
What what is FedRAMP and how can a Cloud PLM solution that complies with FedRAMP help your company?
Describe FedRAMP.
A government initiative called FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program) offers a standardized method for assessing and keeping track of the security of cloud platforms used by U.S. federal agencies. FedRAMP makes it possible for government organizations to quickly identify cybersecurity issues and secure data. Additionally, it makes sure that the appropriate defenses are always in place.
In an effort to speed up the evaluation and adoption of cloud-based solutions by federal agencies, FedRAMP was established in 2012 by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), General Services Administration (GSA), Department of Defense (DoD), and Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
FedRAMP Compliance Conditions
The Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 199 and NIST SP 800-53A’s FedRAMP compliance criteria must be met by cloud service providers’ products. These prerequisites consist of:
use of appropriate security measures
The type of data stored on the cloud platform and the potential effects of a security breach on data confidentiality, integrity, and availability determine the level of security measures (low, moderate, and high).
Low impact level (125 controls): The activities, assets, or people of an organization could be negatively impacted in a limited way by the loss of data confidentiality, integrity, and/or availability.4
System security plan (SSP) completion
An SSP outlines the system’s architecture, the security authorization boundaries implemented, and how security controls are addressed.
FedRAMP third-party assessment organization (3PAO) review
3PAOs are impartial organizations that evaluate the general security risk of the cloud environment and examine a cloud service provider’s security measures.
Plan of action and milestone development (POA&M)
Any security flaws that are found must be addressed with a comprehensive approach. This covers the allocation of personnel and extra resources.
implementation of a method for ongoing monitoring, which includes regular vulnerability checks
Cloud service providers should put in place a mechanism to regularly monitor any system risks or vulnerabilities and evaluate the efficacy of the implemented security controls.
A FedRAMP-Compliant PLM Solution’s Advantages
The adoption of cloud-based product lifecycle management (PLM) systems by aerospace and military firms requires them to be aware of industry regulations and the solution’s suitability for their needs. Manufacturers can gain a better understanding of cloud security measures and feel more confident that their product data is safe from current cyber threats by utilizing a FedRAMP-compliant PLM solution. Additionally, it opens up fresh possibilities for businesses seeking to broaden their product line and increase their clientele the government sector.
Status of Arena PLM’s FedRAMP compliance with AWS GovCloud
As a cloud service provider, Arena, a PTC Business, has put in place a framework of controls that satisfies the security standards set by the government for the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) Moderate baseline. Additionally, Arena keeps controls that adhere to DFARS 252.204-7012 (c)-(g) criteria.