FISMA stands for the Federal Information Security Management Act, which the United States Congress passed in 2002: it requires federal agencies to implement information security plans to protect sensitive data. Show
FISMA compliance is data security guidance set by FISMA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). NIST is responsible for maintaining and updating the compliance documents as directed by FISMA. More specifically, NIST: Get the Free Essential Guide to US Data Protection Compliance and Regulations
Why was FISMA Created?FISMA was created to require each federal agency to develop, document, and implement a complete information security plan to protect and support the operations of the agency. FISMA is one article in a larger piece of legislation called the E-Government Act, which recognizes the importance of information security to the economic and national interests of the United States. Congress amended FISMA in 2014 in the Federal Information Security Modernization Act. The amended legislation provided several modifications to the original law that brought FISMA in line with current information security concerns. Agencies are now encouraged to use more continuous monitoring and focus on compliance than what was required in the previous legislation. Who Needs to Follow FISMA Compliance?Originally, FISMA only applied to federal agencies. Over time, the law has evolved to cover state agencies that manage federal programs (i.e., Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment insurance, etc.) as well as companies with contracts to work with federal agencies. That means private sector companies that do business with federal agencies must adhere to the same information security guidelines as the federal agency. How Do I Become FISMA Compliant?To be FISMA compliant you need to information security controls across your organization based on the guidance from NIST. Several publications encompass the FISMA guidelines: a good place to start is NIST 800 – 53. You’ll also want to read up on NIST 800 – 171, FIPS 199, FIPS 200, and the other NIST 800 –xx documents. In general, following the basic data security principles in the Varonis Operational Journey will help get you FISMA compliant (minus the physical space controls, of course). FISMA requirements include the following:
 FedRAMP Program The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) is a new government program that standardizes how agencies can validate cloud-computing services for FISMA compliance. Agencies are looking to cloud-computing options for cost savings – and FedRAMP provides guidance on how to manage risk and validate the cloud services for use by federal agencies. Any software vendor that wants to work with US government agencies should look into the FedRAMP authorization programs. FISMA Compliance BenefitsAchieving FISMA compliance increases an agencies’ data security, protects citizens’ private data, and reduces IT related cost to the federal government. Private sector companies in the current data security climate should implement FISMA compliant solutions for their own data security. Companies have to be FISMA compliant to work with federal agencies, and they get the added benefit of protecting their data from breaches. Penalties for FISMA Compliance ViolationsThe loss of federal funding is one of the biggest potential penalties for FISMA compliance violations. For an agency that could be detrimental, but if you are a federal contractor that could be the end of your company. Other non-monetary penalties could be a loss of reputation due to data breaches and bad press – or even missing out on future federal project bid opportunities. If you depend on federal funds for your company’s ongoing revenue, you need to be FISMA compliant. FISMA Compliance Best Practices
Any organization – regardless of federal government involvement – will benefit from a FISMA compliance program. The EU passed GDPR, and there is new legislation in Congress today that redefines PII, and requires annual data risk reports. Privacy and data protection laws are coming to the United States, and it’s a good bet that FISMA will influence those laws. If you don’t have a data security strategy in place, you need to get planning now. A Varonis Risk Assessment is a great place to start your FISMA compliance journey. Varonis will highlight risks on sensitive data, monitor your data (one of the FISMA requirements) for potential cyberattacks, and more. Begin your FISMA compliance journey with a free Varonis Risk Assessment. Michael BuckbeeMichael has worked as a sysadmin and software developer for Silicon Valley startups, the US Navy, and everything in between. What is FISMA specify any act of it?The Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) is United States legislation that defines a framework of guidelines and security standards to protect government information and operations.
Why FISMA was created for the federal government?FISMA was created for several reasons. One, it was designed to protect sensitive information held by the government. Compliance is mandatory for federal agencies as well as state agencies that administer federal programs such as Medicare.
What is the difference between FedRAMP and FISMA?FISMA applies to information systems security in general, while FedRAMP applies only to cloud service providers and federal agencies that plan to use cloud service providers.
Which guidance identifies federal information security controls PII?THE PRIVACY ACT OF 1974
The Privacy Act states the rules that a federal agency must follow to collect, use, transfer, and disclose an individual's PII. It also requires agencies to collect and store only the minimum information that they need to conduct their business.
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