AWS Announces FedRAMP Ready Status for Encrypted Messaging Platform

Amazon Web Services announced that its encrypted messaging solution for government customers has achieved Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program Ready status at the Moderate Impact level.

FedRAMP is a government-wide program that evaluates and certifies the security of cloud-based products and services offered to federal agencies.

A ready designation is required for companies pursuing a FedRAMP provisional authority to operate and indicates a high likelihood of achieving full authorization, according to a program summary.

AWS said that its Wickr for Government platform, or WickrGov, offers video and audio communications tools protected by 256-bit end-to-end encryption.

WickrGov also has administrative features designed to allow organizations to deploy the platform at scale, AWS said Monday.

Users may selectively store information on customizable storage for compliance, e-discovery and auditing purposes, the company added.

AWS explained that to achieve FedRAMP Ready status, WickrGov’s security was tested against standards set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Federal Information Security Management Act.

The company said it is actively working toward the FedRAMP Authorized designation, which indicates that a cloud service offering has completed all program requirements and is available for agency reuse. 

AWS completed its acquisition of Wickr in June 2021. In a press release, AWS highlighted the messaging platform’s advantages in security features over other messaging platforms. 

Wickr had already been in use in the public sector, including federal civilian agencies and service members who require encrypted communications, AWS said.