A Coalfire study has found that the number of authorizations issued under the federal government’s cloud computing program grew 33 percent year-over-year between 2016 and 2018.
The company said Wednesday improvements in the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program certification process and a demand for cloud services in the government are among the forces that drove the increase in FedRAMP approvals.
Government cloud investments reached $6.5B during fiscal 2018, marking a 32 percent growth, according to the report.
The cybersecurity advisory company noted the average time it takes for a cloud service provider to complete the certification process went down to six months in late 2018 to early 2019, compared with 12 to 16 months in early 2016.
Software-as-a-Service applications account for more than 84 percent of CSP offerings undergoing or preparing to undergo FedRAMP assessments.
Automated systems help providers receive audit-ready designation within a six-month period, Coalfire noted.