How GitLab supports the FedRAMP authorization journey

The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) is a U.S. government program that standardizes security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring for cloud products and services. Achieving FedRAMP authorization allows cloud service providers (CSPs) to offer their services to federal agencies, ensuring that these services meet stringent security and privacy requirements.

In this article, you'll learn how to GitLab can help guide you on your FedRAMP authorization journey, including:

• the key steps of the FedRAMP certification process
• highlights of GitLab’s role in supporting FedRAMP requirements
• best practices for configuration and compliance

By leveraging GitLab’s features and adhering to recommended practices, organizations can streamline their path to FedRAMP authorization and ensure secure and compliant software development.

Key requirements and compliance levels

FedRAMP categorizes security requirements into three levels based on the impact of data being handled:

• Low: Impact on operations, assets, or individuals is limited.
• Moderate: Impact on operations, assets, or individuals is serious.
• High: Impact on operations, assets, or individuals is severe or catastrophic.

Security and privacy controls from NIST 800-53

FedRAMP's security controls are derived from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication 800-53. Key areas include:

• Vulnerability scanning and patching SLAs: Regular scanning and timely patching of vulnerabilities.
• Secure software supply chain: Ensuring that the software and its components are secure.
• Change management: Restricting unauthorized software or system changes through merge request (MR) approval rules.

Importance of FedRAMP for organizations

For CSPs, achieving FedRAMP authorization is crucial for doing business with federal agencies. Authorized services are listed on the FedRAMP Marketplace, enhancing their visibility and credibility.

Steps to achieve FedRAMP certification

The FedRAMP process is evolving, and a new roadmap has been introduced. To stay up to date on the latest changes, subscribe to General Service Administration (GSA) list.

Walkthrough of the certification process

1. Preparation and readiness

• Preparation
  • Understand FedRAMP requirements and prepare documentation.
• Readiness assessment
  • CSPs can pursue the optional FedRAMP Ready designation by working with an accredited Third-Party Assessment Organization (3PAO). The 3PAO conducts a readiness assessment and documents the CSP's capability to meet federal security requirements in the Readiness Assessment Report (RAR).
• Pre-authorization
  • CSPs formalize partnerships with an agency as outlined in the FedRAMP Marketplace: Designations for Cloud Service Providers.
  • CSPs prepare for the authorization process by making necessary technical and procedural adjustments to meet federal security requirements and prepare the required security deliverables for authorization.

2. Authorization package submission and assessment

• Authorization package submission
  • Historically: Submit the assessment package to the FedRAMP Joint Authorization Board (JAB) or a federal agency sponsor.
  • New process: Submit to the FedRAMP Board within the GSA, replacing the JAB. The process integrates Agile principles and uses threat-based analysis for control selection and implementation.
• Full security assessment
  • The 3PAO conducts an independent audit of the CSP's system. Before this, the CSP should complete the System Security Plan (SSP) and have it reviewed and approved by the agency customer.
  • The 3PAO develops the Security Assessment Plan (SAP) with input from the authorizing agency. After testing, the 3PAO creates a Security Assessment Report (SAR) detailing their findings and providing a recommendation for FedRAMP Authorization.
• Agency authorization process
  • The agency reviews the security authorization package, including the SAR, and may require CSP remediation.
  • The agency performs a risk analysis, accepts the risk, and issues an Authority to Operate based on its risk tolerance, with the option to implement, document, and test customer-responsible controls either before or after the ATO issuance.

3. Post-authorization and continuous monitoring

• Continuous monitoring
  • The continuous monitoring phase involves post-authorization activities to maintain FedRAMP-compliant security authorization.
• New tool
  • automate.fedramp.gov: Provides detailed technical documentation, best practices, and guidance for creating and managing digital authorization packages with Open Security Controls Assessment Language (OSCAL). It supports a digital-first approach, offering faster documentation updates, enhanced user experience, and community collaboration.

Detailed steps are available on the FedRAMP Agency Authorization page.

Common challenges and pitfalls

1. Vulnerability management: Ensuring timely and effective vulnerability management.
2. System boundaries: Clearly defining and documenting system boundaries.
3. Software security practices: Implementing and maintaining robust software security practices.
4. FIPS 140-2 cryptography: Ensuring cryptographic modules are FIPS 140-2 compliant (details available in GitLab's FIPS Compliance documentation).

Role of self-managed GitLab in FedRAMP compliance

Supporting FedRAMP requirements

Self-managed GitLab can play a critical role in achieving FedRAMP compliance by providing tools and features that support secure code development and deployment within FedRAMP authorization boundaries.

Specific features of GitLab aligned with FedRAMP standards

1. Security configuration

You can configure CI/CD pipelines to continuously test code while it ships and simultaneously enforce security policies. GitLab includes a suite of security tools that you can incorporate into the development of customer applications, including but not limited to:

• Security configuration
• Container scanning
• Dependency scanning
• Static application security testing
• Infrastructure as code (IaC) scanning
• Secret detection
• Dynamic application security testing (DAST)
• API fuzzing
• Coverage-guided fuzz testing

2. Access control and authentication

Access management in a GitLab deployment varies for each customer. GitLab offers extensive documentation on deployments using both identity providers and GitLab's native authentication configurations. It is crucial to evaluate your organization's specific requirements before deciding on an authentication approach for your GitLab instance.

3. Identity providers

To comply with FedRAMP requirements, ensure your existing identity provider is FedRAMP-authorized and listed on the FedRAMP Marketplace, and for requirements like personal identity verification (PIV), use an identity provider rather than relying on native authentication in self-managed GitLab.

4. Native GitLab user authentication configurations

GitLab enables administrators to monitor users with different levels of sensitivity and access requirements.

5. Audits and accountability

GitLab provides a wide array of security events and streaming capabilities for comprehensive logging and monitoring that can be routed to a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solution.

• Event types

6. Incident response

After configuring audit events, it's crucial to monitor them. GitLab offers tools for alert management, incident tracking, and status reporting through a centralized interface, allowing you to compile system alerts from SIEM or other security tools, triage incidents, and keep stakeholders informed.

• alerts
• incidents
• on-call schedules
• status page

7. Configuration management

At its core, GitLab meets configuration management needs with robust CI/CD pipelines, approval workflows, and change control, primarily using issues and MRs to manage changes.

8. Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) compliance

GitLab supports FIPS compliance by offering versions that use FIPS-validated cryptographic modules such as OpenSSL, BoringSSL, or other CMVP-validated modules. This ensures that cryptographic operations meet FIPS requirements, making it suitable for use in environments that require high levels of security compliance, such as those seeking FedRAMP authorization. Additionally, GitLab's documentation provides detailed instructions for installing and configuring FIPS-compliant deployments, including a hybrid approach using omnibus and cloud native components.

9. NIST 800-53 R5 security and privacy controls management project template

The project template helps track and manage compliance with NIST 800-53 R5 using GitLab issues, based on NIST 800-53R5 specifications. It includes pre-configured issues, issue boards, and a notional example pipeline to run tests using OpenSCAP (OSCAP) and update issues with artifacts and labels, creating a controls management project within GitLab. This template centralizes compliance efforts, automates control testing, and facilitates a seamless workflow for both project teams and auditors.

Best practices for using GitLab in the FedRAMP process

Recommended configurations and setups

To align self-managed GitLab with NIST 800-53 controls and FedRAMP requirements, consider the following best practices:

1. Security hardening: Follow GitLab’s security hardening guidance.
2. Access control: Implement role-based access control (RBAC) and enforce the principle of least privilege.
3. CI/CD pipelines: Configure pipelines to include security testing and approval stages.
4. Audit logging: Enable comprehensive audit logging and integrate with a SIEM system.
5. Backup and recovery: Establish robust backup and recovery processes.

NIST 800-53 compliance

GitLab provides various compliance features to help automate critical controls and workflows. Administrators should work with customer solutions architects to configure GitLab instances to meet applicable NIST 800-53 controls.

Start your FedRAMP compliance journey

Achieving FedRAMP authorization is a complex but strategic process for CSPs looking to provide services to federal agencies. Self-managed GitLab offers a comprehensive suite of tools and features that can support this journey, ensuring secure and compliant software development and operations. By following best practices and leveraging GitLab’s capabilities, organizations can navigate the challenges of FedRAMP compliance and successfully achieve authorization.

Learn more about GitLab's solutions for the public sector.