How to Get FedRAMP 20x: A Step-by-Step Guide

Traditional FedRAMP authorization is often a nightmare.

For years, CTOs and CISOs have viewed it as a necessary evil — a mountain of static Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and screenshots that become obsolete the moment you save them. It’s expensive, it’s slow, and it distracts your best engineers from building your product.

But the game is changing.

Enter FedRAMP 20x. 20x is much more than a policy update, it’s a fundamental paradigm shift from document-based compliance to digital-first, data-centric compliance.

At Paramify, we aren't just building tools for this; we are living it. As one of the first 3 companies currently executing FedRAMP 20x Phase 2, we know exactly what the new digital authorization process looks like because we are navigating it right now.

If you want to sell to the government without the traditional headache, here is the step-by-step workflow we use to simplify compliance.

Faster, Simpler FedRAMP 20x

Step 1: Define Your "Stacks" (Map Your Reality)

The old way involved reading a control (like AC-2) and trying to figure out how to write a narrative about it.

The FedRAMP 20x way starts with your reality. In Paramify, we begin by importing the KSIs (Key Security Indicators) — the specific requirements you need to meet for 20x authorization.

Instead of writing vague narratives, you map your existing tools, technology, and processes into Stacks.

• Where do you live? (e.g., AWS GovCloud)
• How do you manage identity? (e.g., Okta, Azure AD)
• How do you handle endpoint security? (e.g., CrowdStrike, Jamf)

Why this saves time:

This approach models the organization you already have. By answering specific questions about your cryptographic module review process or network security, you instantly see your gaps.

If you aren't doing something FedRAMP requires, the system flags it immediately. You don't wait for a consultant to tell you six months later; you see the gap on Day 1 and can make a plan to fix it.

Step 2: Automate Evidence Collection (The Github Advantage)

In traditional compliance, "evidence" meant asking an engineer to take a screenshot of a config setting, paste it into a document, and timestamp it.

In Automated Compliance, evidence is code.

We use Risk Solutions to look at risks across categories (Facilities, InfoSec, Organizational). But the real magic happens in our Evidence Sets. These are repeatable processes that prove you are doing what you say you are doing.

The Open-Source Trust Builder

We believe in radical transparency. That’s why many of our evidence scripts are open source and available on our GitHub.

For example, take AWS Component SSL Enforcement. instead of manually checking configs, you can run a script that:

1. Lists your S3 buckets.
2. Inspects bucket policies for security enforcement.
3. Checks your databases.
4. Generates a JSON file with the raw data.

Conversion Tip: You don't have to build these scripts from scratch. You can download them, run them against your environment, and drag-and-drop the resulting JSON artifact directly into Paramify.

Step 3: Real-Time Validation and "Auditor Empathy"

Once you drag and drop that JSON artifact into Paramify, it triggers Validators.

Validators are automated rules that assess the data immediately. You get one of three statuses:

• Pass
• Fail
• Partial

Note: You can either drag and drop or, better, configure the Paramify API to automate the continuous upload of evidence files. That way you don't need to manually upload evidence each time the process runs

Why Transparency Wins Authorizations

The "Black Box" era of compliance is over. For FedRAMP 20x, your auditor (and the government) needs to see exactly how you arrived at a result.

If you fail a check, you need to know why. In Paramify, you can drill down into the validator logic.

• The Validator expects: 100% of S3 buckets to have SSL enforced.
• The Evidence shows: 30 Total Buckets, but only 10 enforced.
• Result: Fail.

This level of transparency makes the auditor's job significantly easier. When you invite an auditor into your Paramify workspace, they don't have to hunt for answers. They see the requirement (KSI), the evidence, and the logic in one view.

Auditor Empathy speeds up your timeline. When an auditor trusts your data, they sign off faster.

→ Schedule a demo to see how Paramify makes 20x fast and easy

Step 4: The Trust Center & Machine Readable Files

The final output of FedRAMP 20x is not a PDF binder. It is data.

Once your validators are passing and your auditor has reviewed the evidence, Paramify bundles everything into a machine-readable file (aligned with standards like OSCAL).

This file powers your FedRAMP Trust Center.

• This is a live, digital representation of your security posture.
• It allows for continuous updates.
• It gives stakeholders a consistent way to verify your security without wading through paperwork.

→ How to transition to OSCAL fast

The "Write Once, Comply Everywhere" Advantage

You might be thinking, "This sounds great for FedRAMP, but I also need SOC 2 or CMMC."

Because we take a data-centric approach (mapping stacks and risks rather than just writing text), the work you do for FedRAMP 20x is not wasted.

Once you have mapped your stacks and automated your evidence, you can apply that same data to other frameworks. Paramify supports:

• CMMC
• FedRAMP Rev 5
• SOC 2
• DoD Frameworks

You invest the effort once, and you comply everywhere.

Learn more about what Paramify does to simplify your GRC process.

See Your Own Gaps in Minutes

FedRAMP 20x is designed to be faster and more transparent, but only if you have the right infrastructure to handle the data.

Don't guess where you stand. You can start mapping your stacks and seeing your compliance gaps today.

Sign up below to schedule a Deep Dive with Paramify. You'll see exactly how our platform automates the heavy lifting so you can get authorized and get back to building.

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Read More

→ How long does 20x take?

→ Is FedRAMP 20x right for you?

→ How these companies did 20x in 30 days with Paramify