Skip to content

ZeroTrustKerberosLink FedRAMP Ready Deployment Overview

Introduction

This document outlines how ZeroTrustKerberosLink aligns with Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) requirements. While ZeroTrustKerberosLink is not currently FedRAMP authorized, it is designed with FedRAMP controls in mind, making it suitable for deployment within FedRAMP boundaries.

Organizations subject to FedRAMP requirements can deploy ZeroTrustKerberosLink within their existing FedRAMP-authorized environments, leveraging our security features to maintain compliance while enabling secure Kerberos to AWS integration.

FedRAMP Control Alignment

ZeroTrustKerberosLink implements security controls that align with FedRAMP Moderate and High baselines. The following table highlights key FedRAMP control families and our implementation approach.

Control Family FedRAMP Requirements ZeroTrustKerberosLink Implementation
Access Control (AC) Implement access control policies and procedures Fine-grained access controls with least privilege enforcement, role-based access, and continuous verification
Audit and Accountability (AU) Comprehensive audit logging and protection Detailed audit logging of all security events with tamper protection and integration with SIEM systems
Security Assessment and Authorization (CA) Regular security assessments Continuous security testing, vulnerability management, and third-party assessments
Configuration Management (CM) Baseline configurations and change control Immutable infrastructure with version-controlled configurations and automated deployment
Identification and Authentication (IA) Strong authentication mechanisms Multi-factor authentication support, integration with enterprise identity providers, and secure credential management
Incident Response (IR) Incident handling capabilities Comprehensive incident detection, response, and recovery procedures
Risk Assessment (RA) Regular risk assessments Continuous risk assessment with threat modeling and vulnerability management
System and Communications Protection (SC) Protection of system communications Strong encryption for data in transit and at rest, network segmentation, and boundary protection
System and Information Integrity (SI) System monitoring and flaw remediation Real-time monitoring, automated vulnerability remediation, and integrity verification

Deployment Within FedRAMP Boundary

ZeroTrustKerberosLink can be deployed within an existing FedRAMP boundary using the following approaches:

1. Agency-Hosted Deployment

Agency-Hosted Deployment

In this model, ZeroTrustKerberosLink is deployed entirely within the agency's FedRAMP-authorized boundary:

  1. Infrastructure: Deployed on agency-controlled infrastructure within the FedRAMP boundary
  2. Network: Connected to the agency's internal network with appropriate security controls
  3. Management: Administered by agency personnel with appropriate security clearances
  4. Monitoring: Integrated with the agency's security monitoring systems
  5. Data Flow: All data remains within the FedRAMP boundary

2. AWS GovCloud Deployment

AWS GovCloud Deployment

In this model, ZeroTrustKerberosLink is deployed within AWS GovCloud:

  1. Infrastructure: Deployed on AWS GovCloud, which is FedRAMP High authorized
  2. Network: Connected to the agency's network via secure VPN or Direct Connect
  3. Management: Administered through secure management interfaces
  4. Monitoring: Integrated with AWS GovCloud security services and agency monitoring
  5. Data Flow: All data remains within FedRAMP-authorized environments

3. Hybrid Deployment

Hybrid Deployment

In this model, ZeroTrustKerberosLink components are distributed across agency infrastructure and AWS GovCloud:

  1. Infrastructure: Components deployed across agency infrastructure and AWS GovCloud
  2. Network: Secure communication between components across environments
  3. Management: Unified management with appropriate security controls
  4. Monitoring: Comprehensive monitoring across all deployment locations
  5. Data Flow: Controlled data flow between environments with appropriate security controls

FedRAMP Moderate Controls Implementation

ZeroTrustKerberosLink implements security controls aligned with FedRAMP Moderate requirements. Key implementations include:

Access Control (AC)

  • AC-2: Account Management
  • Comprehensive account lifecycle management
  • Integration with enterprise identity systems

  • Automated account provisioning and deprovisioning

  • AC-3: Access Enforcement

  • Fine-grained access controls based on identity, context, and resource
  • Policy-based access decisions

  • Continuous authorization

  • AC-4: Information Flow Enforcement

  • Controlled information flow between security domains
  • Data flow monitoring and enforcement

  • Prevention of unauthorized data transfers

  • AC-6: Least Privilege

  • Role-based access control with minimum necessary privileges
  • Just-in-time access provisioning

  • Regular privilege reviews and adjustments

  • AC-17: Remote Access

  • Secure remote access with strong authentication
  • Encrypted communications for all remote access
  • Monitoring and control of remote access sessions

Audit and Accountability (AU)

  • AU-2: Audit Events
  • Comprehensive logging of security-relevant events
  • Configurable audit policies

  • Coverage of all required FedRAMP audit events

  • AU-3: Content of Audit Records

  • Detailed audit records with all required information
  • Standardized log formats

  • Inclusion of contextual information in audit records

  • AU-6: Audit Review, Analysis, and Reporting

  • Tools for review and analysis of audit information
  • Automated alerting on security events

  • Integration with SIEM systems

  • AU-9: Protection of Audit Information

  • Cryptographic protection of audit logs
  • Access controls on audit information
  • Backup of audit records

Identification and Authentication (IA)

  • IA-2: Identification and Authentication
  • Multi-factor authentication support
  • Integration with enterprise identity providers

  • Strong authentication for privileged users

  • IA-5: Authenticator Management

  • Secure management of authentication credentials
  • Password complexity and lifecycle enforcement

  • Secure storage of authentication information

  • IA-8: Identification and Authentication (Non-Organizational Users)

  • Support for external identity providers
  • Consistent authentication policies for all users
  • Secure federation with external identity systems

System and Communications Protection (SC)

  • SC-7: Boundary Protection
  • Strong boundary controls between security domains
  • Network segmentation and traffic filtering

  • Monitoring of boundary crossing traffic

  • SC-8: Transmission Confidentiality and Integrity

  • Encryption of all data in transit
  • Strong cryptographic protocols (TLS 1.3)

  • Message authentication for integrity

  • SC-12: Cryptographic Key Establishment and Management

  • Secure key management practices
  • Regular key rotation

  • Protection of cryptographic keys

  • SC-13: Cryptographic Protection

  • FIPS-validated cryptographic modules
  • Strong cryptographic algorithms
  • Appropriate key lengths and security parameters

FedRAMP High Additional Controls

For environments requiring FedRAMP High compliance, ZeroTrustKerberosLink implements additional controls:

  • AC-2(5): Account Management | Inactivity Logout
  • Automatic session termination after inactivity
  • Configurable timeout periods

  • Secure session cleanup

  • AC-6(9): Least Privilege | Log Use of Privileged Functions

  • Detailed logging of all privileged operations
  • Attribution of privileged actions to individuals

  • Alerting on suspicious privileged activities

  • AU-6(1): Audit Review, Analysis, and Reporting | Process Integration

  • Integration of audit processing with incident response
  • Automated correlation of audit events

  • Real-time analysis of security events

  • SC-7(20): Boundary Protection | Dynamic Isolation/Segregation

  • Dynamic adjustment of security boundaries based on threat intelligence
  • Automated response to detected threats
  • Isolation of compromised components

Logging and SIEM Integration

ZeroTrustKerberosLink provides comprehensive logging capabilities that integrate with agency Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems:

Log Types

  • Authentication Logs: All authentication attempts and results
  • Authorization Logs: Access control decisions and policy evaluations
  • Administrative Logs: Configuration changes and administrative actions
  • System Logs: System status, health, and operational events
  • Security Logs: Security-relevant events and alerts

Log Formats

  • Syslog: Standard syslog format for easy integration
  • JSON: Structured JSON logs for modern SIEM systems
  • CEF/LEEF: Common Event Format for legacy SIEM integration
  • Custom Formats: Support for custom log formats as required

SIEM Integration Methods

  • Syslog Forwarding: Direct forwarding to syslog collectors
  • Log File Collection: Agent-based collection of log files
  • API Integration: REST API for log retrieval
  • Direct Integration: Pre-built integrations with popular SIEM solutions (Splunk, ArcSight, QRadar)

Access Control Features

ZeroTrustKerberosLink provides robust access control features aligned with FedRAMP requirements:

Authentication Features

  • Multi-Factor Authentication: Support for multiple authentication factors
  • PIV/CAC Integration: Support for government-issued smart cards
  • Federation: Integration with agency identity providers
  • Certificate-Based Authentication: Support for client certificates
  • Biometric Authentication: Support for biometric authentication factors

Authorization Features

  • Role-Based Access Control: Access based on assigned roles
  • Attribute-Based Access Control: Dynamic access decisions based on attributes
  • Policy-Based Access Control: Centralized policy definition and enforcement
  • Just-In-Time Access: Temporary access for specific tasks
  • Continuous Authorization: Ongoing verification of access rights

Session Management

  • Secure Session Handling: Cryptographically protected session tokens
  • Session Timeout: Automatic termination of inactive sessions
  • Session Monitoring: Real-time monitoring of active sessions
  • Session Revocation: Immediate revocation of compromised sessions
  • Concurrent Session Control: Limits on simultaneous sessions

Conclusion

ZeroTrustKerberosLink is designed with FedRAMP requirements in mind, making it suitable for deployment within FedRAMP-authorized environments. While not currently FedRAMP authorized, our implementation of FedRAMP-aligned security controls enables agencies to maintain compliance while benefiting from secure Kerberos to AWS integration.

For detailed information about specific controls or deployment scenarios, please contact our security team at fedramp@zerotrustkerberoslink.com.