GSA Celebrates Major Milestones in FedRAMP Cloud Authorization Reform

WASHINGTON — The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced today a major breakthrough in the transformation of the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMPⓇ), celebrating unprecedented progress in streamlining cloud security authorizations across the federal government.

In July, FedRAMP reached a record 114 authorizations for fiscal year 2025— more than double the number completed in FY 2024— and authorized four new cloud services through its innovative FedRAMP 20x Phase One pilot. These achievements come just one year after the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued Memorandum M-24-15, which called for bold action to modernize the government’s cloud authorization process.

When the memo was released, FedRAMP faced a significant backlog, with authorizations taking over a year on average. In response, GSA launched a major modernization effort to speed up delivery. This led to the launch of FedRAMP 20x—an ambitious initiative to reimagine the authorization process by cutting documentation, enabling automation, and streamlining validation and decision-making. As a result, GSA has now reduced the time for authorizations to approximately five weeks.

“FedRAMP 20x represents a critical shift from process-driven compliance to outcome-focused security, empowering agencies to adopt innovative cloud services faster while maintaining robust protections for federal data,” said GSA Acting Administrator Michael Rigas. “The program is setting a new standard for federal IT modernization and reaffirming GSA’s commitment to delivering smarter, more secure services for Americans.”

As the pilot progresses, GSA will continue working with agency and industry partners to validate and refine the FedRAMP 20x model, ensuring it remains scalable, secure, and responsive to a rapidly changing technology landscape. The program’s success demonstrates what’s possible when bold leadership, clear priorities, and modern tools come together in pursuit of better government service delivery.

“FedRAMP is demonstrating what’s possible when a mission-driven team is empowered to move fast and fix what’s broken,” said FedRAMP Director Pete Waterman. “FedRAMP 20x has allowed us to rethink the entire authorization model and prove that security and speed can coexist in the federal space. We’re not just catching up—we’re leading.”

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About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement and shared services for the federal government. GSA manages a nationwide real estate portfolio of over 360 million rentable square feet, oversees more than $110 billion in products and services via federal contracts, and delivers technology services that serve millions of people across dozens of federal agencies. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best customer experience and value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services to the government and the American people. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.

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