State and local compliance without the federal overhead. Engineered by the Only Advisory-Only 3PAO on the marketplace.

GovRAMP verification from the only advisory-only 3PAO on the marketplace. We hold accreditation and refuse to assess. That conflict-free model means our guidance serves one purpose: getting your product on the Authorized Product List.

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Why Choose bladestack.io for GovRAMP?

The SLED Market Deserves Technical Partners, Not Template Vendors.

GovRAMP adoption is accelerating. Indiana now mandates NIST 800-53 compliance for all state cloud vendors. Kansas requires GovRAMP or FedRAMP for new procurements. Arizona transitioned from AZ-RAMP to GovRAMP in April 2025. The pattern is clear: what was optional last year becomes mandatory next year.

The "verify once, serve many" model creates genuine efficiency for cloud providers targeting SLED markets. One authorization. Dozens of procurement opportunities. But that efficiency only materializes if your documentation survives PMO scrutiny the first time.

We specialize in documentation that survives scrutiny.

Our team includes architects who have designed multi-region AWS deployments, engineers who have debugged Kubernetes networking at 2 AM, and consultants who can explain why your SIEM correlation rules do or do not satisfy AU-6. That technical depth shapes every SSP narrative, every boundary diagram, every control implementation statement.

We hold 3PAO accreditation. We perform zero assessments. When we recommend an architecture change, the recommendation serves your authorization timeline. Nothing else.

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Differentiators

Same market. Different methodology.

Advisory-only. Engineer-led. No Surprises. Custom-built. Here's what those words actually mean.

Advisory-Only. By Design.

Zero assessments. We hold the accreditation and choose not to use it. This decision eliminates every conflict of interest that compromises advisory work elsewhere. Our recommendations optimize your authorization path. Nothing else influences our guidance.

Engineers Who Speak Your Stack

Challenge your current advisor to configure a VPC peering connection while explaining its impact on your authorization boundary. Our team has done it. They have deployed Terraform modules across GovCloud regions, configured SIEM correlation rules for NIST AU-family controls, and debugged failing Kubernetes admission controllers at 3 AM. Compliance fluency built on engineering foundations, not the reverse.

Complete Package Development

Your engineering team exists to ship product. We create your entire authorization package: System Security Plan, policies, procedures, plans, and the boundary diagrams that make PMO reviewers pause in appreciation. You validate accuracy. We handle everything else.

Custom Documentation, Never Templates

Generic templates create generic problems. When your SSP describes weekly vulnerability scanning but your actual cadence runs daily, the 3PAO finds that discrepancy. Every implementation statement we write reflects your specific environment. Every procedure matches your actual workflow. The result is documentation your operations team references for daily work, not compliance artifacts that collect dust between assessments.

PMO Reviews Go Faster

We engineer packages to survive scrutiny, not merely pass it. Evidence aligns to narratives. Narratives align to interviews. When the GovRAMP PMO digs into your continuous monitoring artifacts, the answers already exist in your documentation. That precision shortens review cycles and eliminates rework.

Predictable Investment

We quote fixed prices for defined scopes. No hourly billing anxiety. No scope creep invoices. No "we discovered additional complexity" charges after work begins. The condition: you follow our methodology. It exists because we have refined it across dozens of engagements. We know what causes rework and we have engineered it out.
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GovRAMP · Advisory Service Components

For organizations with internal engineering capability that need GovRAMP expertise to guide the journey

The GovRAMP program offers what FedRAMP does not: choice. Core status for organizations building incrementally. Ready status for those meeting minimum mandatory requirements. Authorized status for full NIST 800-53 compliance. Each path serves different market needs, different timelines, different budgets. We help you pick the right path and execute it cleanly.

  • GovRAMP Readiness Evaluation Where do you actually stand? We examine your architecture against GovRAMP's published Minimum Mandatory Requirements and the NIST 800-53 Rev 5 controls applicable to your target impact level. The deliverable: a prioritized roadmap that distinguishes between controls you satisfy today, controls requiring configuration changes, and controls requiring architectural decisions. No padding. No unnecessary complexity.
  • Core Status Preparation GovRAMP Core targets 60 prioritized controls drawn from the MITRE ATT&CK framework. The PMO conducts this review directly, not a 3PAO. Core works well for organizations building their security posture incrementally or serving government customers with lower assurance requirements. We prepare your documentation, coordinate the PMO submission, and support you through the review process.
  • Ready and Authorized Advisory Ready status requires demonstrating GovRAMP's Minimum Mandatory Requirements through a 3PAO-conducted Readiness Assessment Report. Authorized status requires full compliance with applicable NIST 800-53 Rev 5 controls, 3PAO attestation, PMO verification, and acceptance by either a government sponsor or the GovRAMP Approvals Committee. We create the complete documentation package for either path. SSP written to your actual architecture. Policies that reflect how your organization operates. Procedures your team will recognize. Boundary diagrams detailed enough that assessors validate rather than investigate.
  • Bastion: Assessment Verification Support From 3PAO engagement through APL listing. Evidence coordination. Interview preparation. Real-time response when findings surface. Communication management with the PMO and your government sponsor (or the Approvals Committee if you pursue authorization without a sponsor). The engagement concludes when your product appears on the Authorized Product List.

The difference between a smooth verification and a painful one comes down to preparation. Clean documentation. Organized evidence. Defensible boundaries. We deliver all three so your 3PAO engagement validates work already done rather than exposing work not yet started.

Includes:

  • Readiness Evaluation & Roadmap
  • System Security Plan (SSP) for Target Status
  • Authorization Boundary Diagrams
  • Policies, Procedures & Plans
  • Evidence Organization & Mapping
  • 3PAO Coordination Support
  • PMO/Sponsor Communication Management
Enter the Dojo
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GovRAMP · Enjinia Blade Division

For organizations that need technical firepower, architecture, implementation, and remediation.

Advisory tells you what to build. Engineering builds it. Some organizations have the internal capacity to implement controls themselves. Others need reinforcement. Our engineering practice exists for the second group: direct technical contribution to your authorization effort, not just advice from the sidelines.

  • Boundary Architecture GovRAMP authorization hinges on a clearly defined and defensible boundary. We collaborate with your architects to design boundaries that satisfy NIST requirements while remaining operationally practical. Scope decisions made here ripple through every control implementation. Getting the boundary right matters more than getting it done quickly.
  • Control Engineering The gap between "we need to implement AC-2" and "AC-2 is operational in our environment" is where most advisory engagements fall short. We close that gap with direct implementation: configuring identity providers, building log aggregation pipelines, deploying vulnerability scanners, hardening operating systems. The work itself, not just descriptions of the work.
  • Remediation Sprints Findings surface during assessment. Timelines depend on closing them fast. We provide dedicated engineering bandwidth for remediation, keeping your product team focused on product while we focus on compliance gaps. Scoped engagements, clear deliverables, defined timelines.
  • Compliance as Code Infrastructure defined in version control. Controls encoded in modules. Drift detection built into pipelines. We construct the automation that makes compliance repeatable rather than a recurring manual effort. Whatever tooling your stack requires.

Our engineers have shipped production systems, not just reviewed them. They understand operational constraints because they have lived them. When your team needs technical reinforcement, we provide practitioners, not theorists.

Includes:

  • Authorization Boundary Design
  • Control Implementation
  • Configuration & Hardening
  • Remediation Support
  • Infrastructure-as-Code Modules
  • Technical Documentation
Enter the Dojo
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GovRAMP · bladeRAMP Managed Services

For organizations that want FedRAMP compliance operated, not just achieved.

Verification gets you on the Authorized Product List. Staying there requires ongoing work: monthly deliverables, annual assessments, POA&M management, vulnerability remediation. That operational load never lightens. bladeRAMP absorbs it so your team can focus on building product instead of maintaining compliance artifacts.

  • bladeRAMP The complete managed compliance platform. Includes Platform Build (security stack, architecture, and management layer), HANZO SecOps, GENJI ConMon, and SRE infrastructure capability. Full-stack compliance operations from the team that built your package.
  • GENJI · FedRAMP Continuous Monitoring (ConMon) Round-the-clock threat detection and response. SIEM correlation tuned for NIST control families. Host protection across your boundary. Container image scanning integrated into deployment pipelines. Incident response coordination when alerts fire. The security operations layer your authorization requires, operated by a team already familiar with your architecture.
  • HANZO · 24/7 Security Operations (SecOps) GovRAMP's Continuous Monitoring Guide defines what you owe monthly and annually. GENJI delivers it: scan analysis, POA&M updates, evidence collection, sponsor reporting, 3PAO coordination for annual assessments. The compliance operations workflow automated and managed.

Platform Components:

  • Platform Build For organizations that want GovRAMP-aligned infrastructure from day one. We deploy the landing zone, enable the security stack, segment the network, configure remote access, and harden the baseline. You deploy your application into an environment already built for compliance.
  • HANZO · 24/7 Security Operations (SecOps) 24/7 threat detection, incident response, vulnerability management, and infrastructure protection. U.S.-based Security Operations Center staffed exclusively by U.S. citizens.
  • GENJI · FedRAMP Continuous Monitoring (ConMon) POA&M lifecycle management, scan analysis, evidence generation, monthly and annual deliverables, and agency reporting. Continuous monitoring on autopilot.
  • SRE Infrastructure Keeping your authorized environment running. Patching schedules aligned to NIST maintenance requirements. Availability monitoring. Capacity management. Operational support that satisfies both uptime needs and compliance obligations.

Authorization represents months of effort. Losing it to a missed scan deadline or incomplete monthly package wastes that investment. bladeRAMP ensures the operational requirements never slip through the cracks.

Includes:

  • Platform Build & Deployment
  • HANZO (24/7 Security Operations)
  • GENJI (Continuous Monitoring)
  • Annual Assessment Support
  • Agency Reporting & Communication
  • POA&M Lifecycle Management
  • SRE Infrastructure Operations
Explore bladeRAMP
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GovRAMP · Fast Track Services

Accelerated GovRAMP verification for federally authorized products

Already FedRAMP Authorized? GovRAMP's Fast Track program lets you reuse that security package and 3PAO audit work. You have already invested in rigorous verification. Fast Track converts that investment into SLED market access without starting over.

Fast Track does not mean no review. It means reusing existing FedRAMP artifacts rather than duplicating assessment effort. The GovRAMP PMO still evaluates your package. The efficiency comes from avoiding redundant work.

  • Fast Track Gap Analysis GovRAMP accepts FedRAMP-formatted documentation but requires specific templates and attestations. We evaluate your existing package against GovRAMP requirements, identify gaps, and map the remediation path. Most FedRAMP-authorized organizations need minimal additional work.
  • Package Alignment Documentation conversion, template mapping, and attestation preparation. We ensure your FedRAMP package satisfies GovRAMP submission requirements without reconstruction.
  • PMO Coordination We manage the Fast Track submission process, handle PMO communications, and coordinate through APL listing. You pursue SLED contracts. We handle verification mechanics.

Your FedRAMP authorization already proved rigorous security practices. Fast Track translates that proof into state and local market access. We manage the translation so you can focus on the business opportunities it unlocks.

Includes:

  • FedRAMP Package Gap Analysis
  • GovRAMP Template Alignment
  • Documentation Conversion
  • PMO Submission Coordination
  • Continuous Monitoring Transition Planning
Enter the Dojo
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GovRAMP · APEX - Authorization Pathway EXpansion

Growing your GovRAMP footprint without starting from scratch

Initial verification opens the door. Expansion keeps it open as your business grows. Higher impact levels. State-specific overlays. New services added to your boundary. Multiple products under GovRAMP. APEX engineers expansion paths that build on existing work rather than requiring you to rebuild.

  • Impact Level Progression Low to Low+. Low+ to Moderate. Each transition requires delta analysis, additional control implementation, and documentation updates. We engineer the progression to add market access without triggering full reauthorization.
  • State-Specific Overlays TX-RAMP. CJIS requirements. State-specific mandates that layer onto your GovRAMP baseline. We map the delta between your current authorization and the additional requirements, then implement and document the additions.
  • Boundary Expansion New services. New regions. New modules. Significant changes that expand your authorization boundary without invalidating existing work. We manage documentation updates and PMO communication so expansion does not become reauthorization.
  • Multi-Product Strategy Multiple cloud service offerings seeking GovRAMP verification. We architect boundaries that maximize inheritance, minimize redundant control implementations, and structure your portfolio for efficient authorization and maintenance across products.

Expansion should compound your initial investment, not repeat it. We engineer progression paths that add capability while preserving work already completed. Your APL presence grows. Your compliance burden does not multiply.

Includes:

  • Impact Level Delta Analysis
  • State Overlay Integration
  • Boundary Expansion Engineering
  • Multi-Product Architecture
  • Significant Change Documentation
  • PMO Coordination
Our Approach

How GovRAMP Verification Actually Works.

GovRAMP offers flexibility that FedRAMP does not. Multiple verification statuses. PMO-led review for Core. The Approvals Committee as an alternative to government sponsors. That flexibility creates options, but options require strategy. Our approach ensures you pursue the right path at the right pace.

00.

PHASE 0: Discovery & Fast Track

For organizations committed to the full APL journey, or FedRAMP-authorized products seeking accelerated SLED market access

Phase 0 serves two populations.

✓Organizations starting fresh get an intensive architecture review that flows directly into documentation development.

✓Organizations with existing FedRAMP authorization get Fast Track gap analysis and package alignment.

For New GovRAMP Pursuits:

Traditional readiness assessments produce reports that sit in folders while stakeholders debate next steps. Phase 0 bypasses that pattern. We conduct discovery and immediately begin building foundational artifacts. No standalone report. No second engagement to negotiate. No momentum lost.

During Phase 0, we identify your target verification status (Core, Ready, or Authorized), map your architecture to applicable NIST 800-53 Rev 5 controls, and produce the foundational documents that anchor everything else:

  • Authorization Boundary Diagram (ABD)
  • Control Ownership Matrix
  • Remediation Roadmap with realistic timelines
  • Architecture Risk Register

These artifacts do not gather dust. They flow directly into Phase 1 documentation development.

For FedRAMP Fast Track:

GovRAMP's Fast Track program allows reuse of FedRAMP security packages and 3PAO assessment work. If you already hold federal authorization, you have completed the rigorous part. Fast Track converts that investment into APL listing without duplicating effort.

Phase 0 for Fast Track includes:

  • Gap analysis between your FedRAMP package and GovRAMP submission requirements
  • Template alignment and attestation preparation
  • Identification of any delta documentation needed
  • PMO submission strategy and timeline

Most FedRAMP-authorized organizations require minimal additional work. We identify exactly what that work entails and execute it efficiently.

01.

GovRAMP · Gap Assessment

For organizations evaluating the GovRAMP path before committing

Not ready to commit to full advisory? The gap assessment tells you exactly where you stand and exactly what reaching the APL requires.

GovRAMP offers verification status options that FedRAMP does not. Core requires 60 controls with PMO-led review. Ready requires demonstrating Minimum Mandatory Requirements through 3PAO assessment. Authorized requires full NIST 800-53 compliance with government sponsor or Approvals Committee acceptance. Each path demands different effort, different documentation depth, different timelines.

We focus the assessment on the controls that determine success or failure at your target status level. No cycling through irrelevant requirements. No padding the report with findings that do not affect your authorization outcome.

  • Target status recommendation based on your market requirements
  • Control-by-control readiness evaluation for applicable baseline
  • Remediation priorities ranked by authorization impact
  • Architecture recommendations with implementation specifics
  • Realistic timeline and resource projections
  • Cost estimate for full advisory engagement

We assess reality. The roadmap reflects reality. That alignment is what makes the subsequent advisory phase efficient.

02.

GovRAMP · Advisory & Package Engineering

Building your complete authorization package

This is the production phase. We create everything required for your target verification status while your engineering team focuses on implementation and remediation.

For Core Status:

Core targets 60 prioritized controls drawn from the MITRE ATT&CK framework. The PMO reviews Core submissions directly, without 3PAO involvement. We prepare your documentation to PMO expectations, coordinate the submission process, and support you through their review.

For Ready Status:

Ready requires demonstrating GovRAMP's Minimum Mandatory Requirements. A 3PAO conducts the Readiness Assessment and produces the Readiness Assessment Report (RAR). We create the SSP and supporting documentation that positions your organization to pass that assessment cleanly.

For Authorized Status:

Authorized requires full compliance with applicable NIST 800-53 Rev 5 controls, 3PAO attestation via Security Assessment Report (SAR), PMO verification, and acceptance by either a government sponsor or the GovRAMP Approvals Committee.

We produce the complete package:

  • System Security Plan with control implementations specific to your architecture
  • Authorization Boundary Diagrams that answer assessor questions before they surface
  • Data flow documentation showing how information moves through your environment
  • Policies written to reflect your organization's actual governance
  • Procedures your operations team will recognize as accurate
  • Plans addressing contingency, configuration management, incident response, and continuous monitoring

Parallel Engineering Support:

Documentation creation and control implementation happen simultaneously. When your team encounters technical questions during remediation, we answer them. When architectural decisions affect multiple controls, we identify the downstream documentation impacts before they become rework.

We do not vanish after delivering documents. We remain engaged until your package is assessment-ready.

03.

GovRAMP · Bastion · Assessment Validation Support

From 3PAO engagement through APL listing.

The engagement does not conclude when documentation is complete. Bastion provides support through the entire verification process, standing between your engineering team and the assessment machinery.

For Ready Status:

Your 3PAO conducts the Readiness Assessment and produces the RAR. We coordinate evidence delivery, prepare your team for interviews, and respond to clarification requests. When the 3PAO identifies gaps, we help prioritize and address them before they become formal findings.

For Authorized Status:

The path to Authorized involves more stakeholders: your 3PAO, the GovRAMP PMO, and either a government sponsor or the Approvals Committee. We manage communication across all parties, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.

Assessment failures follow predictable patterns. Evidence that does not trace to SSP narratives. Interview responses that contradict documented procedures. Boundary diagrams that assessors cannot reconcile with scan results. We engineer packages to prevent these failure modes, and we support you in real-time when issues surface despite preparation.

What Bastion Covers:

  • Evidence package organization aligned to assessment requirements
  • Interview preparation for technical and management personnel
  • 3PAO coordination and clarification response
  • Real-time finding triage and remediation guidance
  • PMO communication and submission management
  • Government sponsor coordination (or Approvals Committee package preparation)

The engagement concludes when your product appears on the Authorized Product List. Not when documentation delivers. Not when assessment concludes. When you reach the APL.

Verified.

The APL listing is the starting line, not the finish.

Your product appears on the Authorized Product List. SLED procurement officers can find you. State contracts that previously required lengthy security reviews now reference your GovRAMP status. The investment paid off.

But GovRAMP verification is not static. The program requires monthly continuous monitoring deliverables per the GovRAMP Continuous Monitoring Guide. Annual 3PAO assessments validate ongoing compliance. POA&M items require tracking and remediation within defined timelines. That operational commitment continues as long as you want to maintain your APL listing.

The path forward depends on your internal capacity:

  • GovRAMP · ConMon Advisory Services Guidance on continuous monitoring requirements, POA&M management processes, and annual assessment preparation. You maintain operations internally. We provide expertise when questions arise.
  • GovRAMP · bladeRAMP Managed Services Full operational responsibility for continuous compliance. HANZO provides security operations. GENJI handles continuous monitoring workflows. Your team focuses on product development. We ensure the APL listing remains intact.
  • GovRAMP · Bitstream Merc Engineering Ad-hoc technical resources when you need implementation help. Remediation sprints. Architecture changes. Control implementation for new services. Scoped engagements with defined deliverables.
  • GovRAMP · APEX: Authorization Expansion Higher impact levels. State-specific overlays. Boundary expansion. Multi-product strategies. When your authorization needs to grow, APEX engineers the path forward without requiring you to start over.
Forge Your Certification
Understanding GovRAMP

GovRAMP Overview

GovRAMP is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit that standardizes cloud security verification for state, local, tribal, and education (SLTT) entities. Formerly StateRAMP, the program rebranded in February 2025 to reflect its expanding mission beyond state-level adoption. Built on NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5, GovRAMP provides procurement officials a vetted list of cloud products that meet defined security thresholds. Products that achieve verification appear on the Authorized Product List (APL), which procurement teams reference when evaluating vendors.

Program Foundation

  • Built on NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5
  • Verified offerings are listed on the Authorized Product List (APL), updated at the end of each business day.
  • Continuous monitoring is required to maintain a verified status.

Verified Statuses

  • Core 60 prioritized controls, assessed directly by the GovRAMP PMO, no 3PAO audit required. Includes quarterly continuous monitoring.
  • Ready Minimum Mandatory Requirements by impact level, validated via a 3PAO Readiness Assessment Report (RAR). Ongoing reporting follows the Continuous Monitoring Guide.
  • Provisionally Authorized Requires 3PAO attestation and sponsor or committee involvement. May be assigned when most requirements are met, or when an interconnected technology is not GovRAMP or FedRAMP Authorized.
  • Authorized Requires a 3PAO Security Assessment Report, GovRAMP PMO verification, and acceptance by a government sponsor or the GovRAMP Approvals Committee.

Impact Levels

GovRAMP categorizes systems by potential impact of a security breach:
  • Low Limited adverse effect on operations, assets, or individuals. Suitable for public-facing information systems without sensitive data.
  • Low+ Low baseline with select Moderate-level control enhancements. Bridges the gap for organizations needing stronger protections without full Moderate implementation. Common for systems handling some sensitive data but not at Moderate thresholds.
  • Moderate Serious adverse effect possible. Required for systems processing sensitive data including PII, PHI, or financial information. Most SLED procurements specify Moderate.
  • High Severe or catastrophic adverse effect possible. Reserved for critical infrastructure and systems where compromise could endanger safety or essential government functions.

Why GovRAMP Matters Now

State adoption is converting from voluntary to mandatory. Three examples illustrate the trend:
  • Indiana (Executive Order 25-19) All state cloud vendors must demonstrate NIST 800-53 compliance. GovRAMP verification satisfies this requirement.
  • Kansas New cloud procurements require GovRAMP or FedRAMP authorization. Vendors without verification are excluded from consideration.
  • Arizona Retired the state-specific AZ-RAMP program in April 2025, recognizing GovRAMP as the accepted standard for state cloud procurements.

The pattern is consistent: states that previously accepted vendor self-attestation or state-specific programs are consolidating around GovRAMP. What was optional in 2023 is becoming mandatory.

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FedRAMP Fast Track

Organizations with existing FedRAMP authorization (ATO, P-ATO, or Ready status) can leverage Fast Track to reach the APL without duplicating assessment work. GovRAMP accepts FedRAMP-formatted documentation and 3PAO assessment artifacts.

Fast Track is not a shortcut around verification. The GovRAMP PMO still reviews your submission. The efficiency comes from reusing work already completed: your 3PAO's assessment, your existing SSP, your established continuous monitoring program.

What changes: GovRAMP requires specific templates and attestations. Some documentation conversion is typically necessary. Continuous monitoring deliverables shift to GovRAMP's format and cadence.

What stays the same: Your security controls. Your architecture. Your 3PAO relationship for ongoing assessments.

Most FedRAMP-authorized organizations complete Fast Track in weeks rather than the months required for new GovRAMP pursuits. The federal investment translates directly into SLED market access.

 

Ready to Discuss Your GovRAMP Strategy?

Skip the sales pitch. Talk with cyber-samurai who understand both the GovRAMP program and the engineering work required to satisfy it. We will discuss your current posture, your target market, and whether we are the right fit. No obligation. No pressure.