I am proud to announce that Cisco Umbrella for Government has achieved FedRAMP In Process status for FedRAMP Moderate authorization. This reflects our commitment to providing one of the most comprehensive and reliable cloud-native cybersecurity solutions to federal, state, and local government agencies, as well as all other organizations that depend upon FedRAMP certification.
We are partnering with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as our sponsor. Their vision is to enable a holistic cloud-centric security infrastructure for agencies that leverage Umbrella for Government along with other products. Achieving FedRAMP Moderate authorization is a foundational step in this journey.
What’s included in Umbrella for Government
Our Umbrella for Government solution includes both Umbrella DNS-layer security and Umbrella’s Secure Internet Gateway (SIG) capabilities that include a secure web gateway, cloud-delivered firewall, cloud access security broker (CASB), and data loss prevention (DLP) – the same capabilities available today in our commercial Umbrella offer. This advanced solution is set to significantly up-level government cybersecurity, offering comprehensive security that meets the unique needs and compliance requirements of government organizations and others that depend upon FedRAMP.
Achieving certification like FedRAMP for a customer as important as the US federal government is rigorous and demanding. Many Umbrella engineering teams across development, security, to infrastructure worked closely together to achieve this milestone. The high levels of agility and collaboration these teams demonstrated were top-notch. I could not be prouder. It’s an embodiment of my favorite catchphrase “Let’s innovate to win”.
Here’s a summary of the benefits and capabilities these teams delivered:
Enhanced Security
Umbrella meets the Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) program and mandate for Protective DNS. Umbrella DNS-layer security provides the data and visibility to quickly block threats over any port and protocol, protecting users and devices, no matter whether they are located in the office or remote. With over 26,000 customers already choosing Cisco Umbrella as their trusted partner in DNS security, organizations can be confident their users will be better protected through their ongoing hybrid work and cloud transformation.
Building on DNS-layer security, the SIG capabilities of secure web gateway, cloud-delivered firewall, CASB, and DLP provide comprehensive protection against cyber threats. Umbrella SIG unifies multiple security functions into a single solution that protects roaming users, secures branch offices, and controls the usage of cloud-based applications.
Compliance
Umbrella for Government is designed to meet stringent FedRAMP requirements, ensuring compliance with enhanced government cybersecurity mandates. As an example – Umbrella provides advanced threat protections and secure communications that align with TIC 3.0 Policy Enforcement Points for User, Traditional, Branch office and Cloud Use cases; Executive Order on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity 14828; and Moving the US Government toward Zero Trust OMB Memo M-22-09. We provide details on how Cisco complies with additional cybersecurity mandates, such as the NIST Cybersecurity Framework.
Scalability
Umbrella for Government’s robust and flexible infrastructure is designed to address specific regulatory and compliance requirements of US government agencies at the federal, state, and local levels. It can support organizations of any size, enabling seamless expansion as needed with the reliability and performance to support mission-critical workloads.
Flexibility
Umbrella for Government, when it has been authorized under FedRAMP can be deployed with other Cisco FedRAMP Moderate authorized offers, such as Duo and Cisco SD-WAN, providing a complete zero-trust cybersecurity ecosystem tailored to government needs. The Cisco SD-WAN and Umbrella integration enables you to integrate Umbrella’s effective cloud-delivered security throughout your SD-WAN fabric. This is the core of Cisco’s secure access service edge (SASE) architecture, consolidating networking and security functions in the cloud for seamless, secure access to applications, anywhere users work.
Both Duo and Umbrella offer cloud-delivered security to protect roaming users. Umbrella provides the first line of defense against threats on the internet, delivering visibility into all cloud services in use across your environment, with the ability to block risky applications. Duo’s multi-factor authentication (MFA) lets you verify the identity of all users — before granting access to business applications.
Ease of Deployment and Use
Umbrella cloud-delivered security means there is no hardware to install or maintain. Multiple security technologies are available in a single solution, managed by a single browser interface for rapid configuration and easy day-to-day management. Customers tell us that setting up DNS security is a simple process: In a few hours they were able to enhance branch office protection and protect their users globally. Umbrella’s ease of deployment can show near-immediate value in defending against modern threats.
Customers with existing Cisco Secure Client (formerly AnyConnect) deployments can enable DNS security without the installation of additional client software, providing Protective DNS integration for roaming users.
Open Architecture
Umbrella for Government’s open, integrated architecture enables other third-party integrations which have achieved FedRAMP Moderate status to be integrated to extend, enhance, and amplify the power of your existing security investment. In addition to providing advanced security solutions for government organizations, Umbrella for Government is also well-suited for state agencies, public sector, and others doing business with the government who need to meet Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) requirements. This includes organizations in the defense industrial base (DIB), who can leverage Umbrella for Government to achieve the necessary compliance.
Want to learn more about Cisco Umbrella for government?
Achieving FedRAMP certification is certainly a high bar, and we can apply the lessons we learned to similar certification and compliance programs. For now, I thank the teams involved for their hard work and successes.
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