FedRAMP Authorized Storage Vendors

The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) provides a standardized approach to security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring for cloud products and services used by federal agencies. Any cloud service provider (CSP) that stores, processes, or transmits federal data must obtain FedRAMP authorization before an agency can use it.

Cloud storage is particularly sensitive because it's where data resides at rest. Unlike a SaaS application where data passes through transiently, a storage service holds your data persistently — often including controlled unclassified information (CUI), personally identifiable information (PII), or other sensitive federal data. The attack surface for stored data includes access controls, encryption, key management, data residency, backup integrity, and incident response.

FedRAMP authorization confirms that the storage vendor has implemented the required NIST 800-53 controls and that those controls have been assessed by an accredited Third Party Assessment Organization (3PAO). Without authorization, a government contractor using that storage service is out of compliance, regardless of how secure the vendor might actually be.

For organizations pursuing CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification), the storage question is even more critical. CMMC Level 2 and above require that CUI is stored only in environments that meet FedRAMP Moderate baseline — there's no workaround or risk acceptance path for this requirement.

FedRAMP defines three authorization levels — Low, Moderate, and High — based on the FIPS 199 impact categories of confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The level you need depends on the sensitivity of the data you're storing.

FedRAMP Low covers systems where the loss of confidentiality, integrity, or availability would have a limited adverse effect. This level is appropriate for publicly releasable information or low-sensitivity internal data. It requires approximately 125 NIST 800-53 controls. Few storage-specific use cases fit this category because if the data were truly low-sensitivity, you might not need dedicated cloud storage for it.

FedRAMP Moderate is the most common authorization level and covers systems where the impact of a breach would be serious but not catastrophic. This includes most CUI, PII, and sensitive-but-unclassified federal data. FedRAMP Moderate requires approximately 325 controls and is the baseline for CMMC Level 2 compliance. If you're a government contractor storing CUI, your storage vendor needs at least FedRAMP Moderate authorization.

FedRAMP High covers systems where the impact of a breach would be severe or catastrophic — including law enforcement data, emergency management systems, financial systems, and health systems. FedRAMP High requires approximately 421 controls and represents the most stringent authorization level. Only a handful of cloud storage providers hold FedRAMP High authorization.

When evaluating a storage vendor's FedRAMP status, confirm not just that they're authorized, but that their authorization level matches your data classification requirements. A FedRAMP Low authorized service cannot be used to store Moderate-impact data.

The following cloud storage services hold active FedRAMP authorization as of 2026. Always verify current status at marketplace.fedramp.gov before making procurement decisions, as authorization status can change.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) S3 holds FedRAMP High authorization through AWS GovCloud (US) and FedRAMP Moderate through standard AWS commercial regions. S3 is the most widely adopted FedRAMP-authorized storage service, with extensive documentation for government workloads. For High-impact data, you must use the GovCloud partition, not standard commercial AWS.

Microsoft Azure Blob Storage holds FedRAMP High authorization through Azure Government and FedRAMP Moderate through commercial Azure. Azure Government operates from physically separated datacenters staffed by screened US persons. Azure's storage encryption, key management (Azure Key Vault), and access controls are well-documented for federal compliance.

Google Cloud Storage holds FedRAMP Moderate authorization for its commercial platform, with FedRAMP High available through Google Cloud's Assured Workloads. Google's approach uses logical rather than physical isolation for government workloads, which is a different architecture than AWS GovCloud or Azure Government.

Box holds FedRAMP Moderate authorization through Box for Government (Box GovCloud). Box is one of the few content management and file-sharing platforms with FedRAMP authorization, making it popular for agencies that need collaboration features alongside storage. Box GovCloud operates in a dedicated AWS GovCloud environment.

Important note about Dropbox: Despite being one of the most popular cloud storage services in the private sector, Dropbox does not hold FedRAMP authorization. This is a common point of confusion for organizations transitioning to government work. If employees are using personal or business Dropbox accounts to store federal data, this represents a compliance gap that needs immediate remediation. See the Dropbox vendor profile for more details.

FedRAMP authorization status is publicly available through the FedRAMP Marketplace. This is the authoritative source — vendor claims on their own websites should be verified against the marketplace before making procurement decisions.

To check a vendor's status, visit marketplace.fedramp.gov and search for the vendor or product name. The marketplace listing shows the product name, the sponsoring agency, the authorization level (Low, Moderate, or High), the authorization date, the 3PAO that performed the assessment, and the current status (Authorized, In Process, or Ready).

Pay attention to the distinction between "FedRAMP Authorized" and "FedRAMP Ready" or "In Process." Only "Authorized" status means the vendor has completed the full assessment and received an Authority to Operate (ATO). "In Process" means they're working toward authorization with a sponsoring agency but haven't completed it. "Ready" means they've completed a readiness assessment but don't yet have a sponsoring agency.

ThirdProof's FedRAMP verification automates this lookup — when you run a vendor investigation, it checks the FedRAMP registry in real-time and reports the vendor's authorization status, level, and sponsoring agency. This ensures your records are always current without manual marketplace searches.

For organizations with large vendor portfolios, checking authorization status quarterly is a best practice. Authorization can be revoked if a vendor fails to maintain their continuous monitoring requirements, and you need to know if a vendor you rely on loses their authorization.

Using a FedRAMP-authorized storage vendor is necessary but not sufficient for compliance. Government contractors also need to document their selection rationale, verify the authorization level matches their data classification, and implement customer-side controls that complement the vendor's FedRAMP authorization.

For CMMC compliance specifically, you'll need to document: which storage vendors you use for CUI, their FedRAMP authorization level and current status, how CUI is encrypted at rest and in transit, your access control policies for the storage environment, your key management approach (customer-managed keys vs. vendor-managed), and your incident response procedures for storage-related security events.

The CMMC assessment will verify that your CUI boundaries are clearly defined and that all components within those boundaries — including cloud storage — meet the required security baselines. A storage vendor without FedRAMP authorization inside your CUI boundary is a finding that will prevent certification.

Beyond CMMC, many government contracts include DFARS clause 252.204-7012, which requires adequate security for covered defense information. This clause effectively mandates FedRAMP Moderate (or equivalent) for any cloud service that stores or processes covered defense information. Document your compliance with this clause as part of your contract deliverables.

For a deeper dive into CMMC vendor requirements, see our CMMC vendor requirements guide. For comprehensive FedRAMP vendor tracking, explore the full FedRAMP authorized vendor list.

With a limited set of FedRAMP-authorized storage options, the choice often comes down to your existing cloud ecosystem, the authorization level you need, and the specific storage features your workload requires.

If you're already operating in AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud for compute and networking, staying within the same ecosystem for storage simplifies operations, reduces data transfer costs, and consolidates your compliance scope. Running storage in a different cloud than your compute environment introduces cross-cloud data flows that need their own security controls and compliance documentation.

For organizations that need file-sharing and collaboration features rather than raw object storage, Box fills a niche that the hyperscale providers don't directly address. Box GovCloud provides a familiar file management interface with version control, sharing permissions, and workflow automation — all within a FedRAMP Moderate boundary.

Consider the total cost of compliance, not just the storage cost per gigabyte. AWS GovCloud and Azure Government typically carry a price premium over their commercial counterparts (roughly 10-30% depending on the service). Factor in the cost of implementing customer-side controls, managing encryption keys, and maintaining documentation. A slightly more expensive vendor with better compliance tooling may save money overall.

Finally, evaluate the vendor's track record for continuous monitoring and audit responsiveness. FedRAMP requires ongoing security assessments, and a vendor with a strong continuous monitoring program gives you higher confidence that their authorization will be maintained. Check their recent ConMon (Continuous Monitoring) reports if available, and look for any Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&Ms) that indicate open remediation items.