If you’re a cloud service provider (CSP) trying to break into the federal market, navigating the alphabet soup of federal compliance frameworks can be overwhelming. FISMA, NIST 800-53, NIST 800-171, CMMC 2.0, FedRAMP... they all seem interconnected, but how exactly do they relate to each other?

Let’s walk through how FedRAMP fits into the bigger picture of federal cybersecurity requirements, how it differs from other frameworks like CMMC 2.0 and NIST 800-171, and how to figure out which one your organization needs to comply with.

FedRAMP, FISMA, and NIST: How they’re connected

At the highest level, it all starts with FISMA, the Federal Information Security Modernization Act. FISMA is a federal law that requires agencies and the vendors they work with to protect information systems from cybersecurity threats.

FISMA defines what must be done, but not how. That’s the role of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). NIST publishes detailed guidance and standards that federal agencies and contractors use to meet FISMA’s requirements.

One of the most important NIST documents is NIST SP 800-53, which provides a catalog of security controls for protecting federal systems. Agencies use these controls along with the NIST Risk Management Framework (RMF) to categorize systems, assess risk, and determine what safeguards are required based on data sensitivity.

FedRAMP is essentially the cloud-specific extension of all this. It tailors the NIST 800-53 controls for cloud environments and provides a standardized process for assessing and authorizing cloud services used by the federal government. If you’re a cloud provider and want to store or process federal data, FedRAMP is how you prove that you meet FISMA’s security requirements.

FedRAMP vs CMMC and NIST 800-171

If FedRAMP is for cloud providers handling federal data, NIST 800-171 is for non-federal organizations that handle Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) on behalf of the federal government. Think defense contractors, manufacturers, or service providers.

While NIST 800-171 is based on a subset of NIST 800-53 controls, it’s designed specifically for safeguarding CUI in non-federal systems, not necessarily in cloud environments.

CMMC, or the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification, uses NIST 800-171 as its foundation. It’s a DoD-specific framework that requires third-party certification for defense contractors at various levels of maturity depending on the sensitivity of the data they access.

In short:

• FedRAMP: Required for cloud services used by federal agencies
• NIST 800-171: Required for non-federal systems that handle CUI
• CMMC: DoD-specific certification for organizations that handle FCI, CUI, or SPD

Which federal compliance frameworks apply to you?

Figuring out which federal compliance framework your organization needs to follow depends largely on two factors: what type of organization you are and what kind of data you handle.

If you’re a cloud service provider (CSP) offering a SaaS product or infrastructure solution and want to work with federal agencies, FedRAMP is almost certainly required. That’s because FedRAMP is the official program for authorizing cloud products used by federal government customers. Whether you’re targeting civilian agencies or national security programs, FedRAMP ensures that your cloud environment meets the security standards outlined in NIST 800-53.

If you're a startup or smaller SaaS company targeting civilian agencies and only dealing with publicly available data, you may be able to start with FedRAMP Low. This is the least burdensome level of authorization and a good entry point into the federal market.

If you’re a government contractor or subcontractor and your work involves handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), then you’ll need to comply with NIST 800-171. This is a set of security requirements specifically designed to protect CUI in non-federal systems, like those operated by private-sector partners.

If you're doing business with the Department of Defense, you’re also likely required to meet CMMC requirements, which build on NIST 800-171. Most defense contractors will need either CMMC Level 1 certification, which requires an annual self-assessment, or Level 2 certification, which requires a formal third-party assessment. 

Some CSPs may find themselves working with both civilian and defense agencies. In that case, you might need to comply with FedRAMP and also implement CUI protections in line with CMMC. As an example, let’s say a CSP offers a SaaS product that stores DoD-related CUI in AWS GovCloud. The SaaS product must be FedRAMP Moderate Authorized, and if the CSP’s support team accesses CUI (e.g. for debugging), or the CSP’s internal systems manage keys or backups involving CUI, the company itself must also be CMMC Level 2 compliant.

If you need to comply with more than one framework, the good news is that there’s significant overlap — especially since most of these standards are built on NIST’s foundational controls. Tools like Secureframe can help map requirements across frameworks so you don’t have to start from scratch each time.

Federal cybersecurity frameworks might feel like a maze, but once you understand how the pieces fit together, the path forward becomes clearer.

If you’re a cloud service provider, FedRAMP is your ticket into the federal marketplace. And thanks to FedRAMP 20x and automation tools like Secureframe, achieving compliance is more manageable than ever.

If you’re ready to start your FedRAMP journey, check out our step-by-step FedRAMP authorization guide or schedule a demo to see how our team can help.