Source URL: https://www.docker.com/blog/fedramp-compliance-with-hardened-images/
Source: Docker
Title: Accelerating FedRAMP Compliance with Docker Hardened Images
Feedly Summary: Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) compliance costs typically range from $450,000 to over $2 million and take 12 to 18 months to achieve, time your competitors are using to capture government contracts. While you’re spending months configuring FIPS cryptography, hardening security baselines, and navigating 400+ security controls, your competitors are already shipping to…
AI Summary and Description: Yes
**Summary:** The provided text discusses the challenges and costs associated with achieving FedRAMP compliance for cloud products and services, highlighting Docker’s solution of Hardened Images that facilitate this process. It delivers a comprehensive solution to automation, compliance, and security by integrating FIPS and STIG requirements, ultimately enabling organizations to speed up time-to-market and reduce compliance costs.
**Detailed Description:**
The text focuses on the intricacies of achieving compliance with the **Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP)**, emphasizing its significance for companies aiming to deliver cloud solutions to U.S. government agencies. Compliance is critical, but the process is costly and time-consuming. Docker’s Hardened Images aim to mitigate these challenges.
Key insights and components include:
– **Cost and Time for FedRAMP Compliance**:
– Compliance costs range from **$450,000 to over $2 million**.
– Timeline for compliance can take **12 to 18 months**, potentially causing loss of business opportunities to competitors.
– **Automating Compliance**:
– The text advocates for **shifting from manual compliance practices** to automated and auditable security solutions, particularly with Docker Hardened Images (DHI).
– **FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standards)**:
– DHI provides **FIPS-validated cryptographic** modules crucial for ensuring sensitive information protection.
– Ease of integration as Docker pre-configures images with FIPS-validated software, ensuring ongoing compliance.
– **STIG (Security Technical Implementation Guides) Compliance**:
– Docker has developed custom STIG-hardened images to meet secure configurations that are essential for FedRAMP compliance.
– STIGs are aligned with the General Purpose Operating System (GPOS) SRG, which are necessary for assessing container-specific configurations.
– **Continuous Compliance Features**:
– Features like vulnerability detection, remediation strategies, and continuous updates reduce attack surfaces significantly, claiming up to a **95% smaller attack surface**.
– Regular monitoring for vulnerabilities as per FedRAMP guidelines, ensuring remediations occur within defined timelines.
– **Audit Evidence**:
– Emphasis on the importance of **signed attestations** as proof of compliance with various requirements.
– Provision of secure evidence about the security status of Docker images, including asset management and vulnerability reports.
– **Broader Implications**:
– While targeted towards federal compliance, the standards outlined are sensible for all organizations, reinforcing a culture of security that aligns with generally accepted best practices beyond federal contracts.
– **Collaboration and Support**:
– The text concludes with a call to action for continuous partnership in enhancing the software supply chain, signaling Docker’s commitment to supporting compliance and security initiatives.
Overall, the text highlights how automation in compliance and security can empower organizations to meet stringent federal standards while remaining competitive in rapidly evolving markets.