One thing is certain: every year, the cybersecurity threat environment will evolve. AI tools, advances in computing, the growth of high-powered data centers that can be weaponized, compromised IoT networks, and all of the traditional vectors grow and change.

As such, the tools and frameworks we use to resist these attacks will also need to change. While in some years, the evolution of protection is slow and steady, some promise larger shakeups. 2026 is one such year, with major changes to FedRAMP in particular.

What does the coming year have in store for FedRAMP, and what do you need to know? While we can’t entirely predict the future, some plans have already been published.

The basis for all of this comes from two particular sources of authority. The first is the FedRAMP Authorization Act, which replaces 2011 legislation that was growing more and more outdated, and replaces it with a more reactive and evolving basis for ongoing advancements in security. The other is the FedRAMP policy memo known as M-24-15, which issues directives from the White House to modernize the FedRAMP system.

Together, these have established new authority, opened up more flexibility, and allowed for rapid evolution. You can expect FedRAMP to be a very different paradigm by the end of 2026 than what you’re used to, and 2027 looks like it will be just as exciting.

The Big News: More FedRAMP 20x

Early in 2025, FedRAMP initiated a pilot program called 20x.

20x serves several purposes, all aimed at modernizing parts of the FedRAMP authorization process. In particular, it focuses on Low Baseline authorization and cloud-native security indicators. It takes heavy advantage of automation using KSIs, or Key Security Indicators, which are discrete and specific tasks that ensure robust security when they’re all completed.

Essentially, this addresses the common pain point of overly broad and flexible security requirements. Instead of simply being told your data must be secured, the 20x pilot would tell you to encrypt data with a specific validated algorithm, which can be checked automatically and validated.

The end result is a much simpler and much, much faster validation process that can be done largely automatically. This dramatically speeds up the authorization process, reduces the human burden of auditing, and helps streamline authorization for Low baseline CSPs.

On average, participants in the first pilot were able to achieve full authorization in as little as three months, rather than the standard 18+ months of the normal authorization process.

Phase one of the FedRAMP 20x pilot has ended, and phase two will begin.

What Does FedRAMP 20x Phase 2 Entail?

Phase two of the 20x initiative will be a further experiment and iteration on the processes started in the phase one pilot program. Using data gathered from the CSPs that participated in phase one, phase two will test the next version of the program with changes to address common pain points.

Critically, phase two takes what was learned in phase one with the Low baseline CSPs and applies the same concepts to Moderate baseline CSPs. Since the vast majority of FedRAMP participants are in the Moderate baseline, this is the biggest jump in potential value.

The bad news: it’s not open to the public. Two cohorts of CSPs will be selected to participate, for a total of a whopping ten participants. Cohort 1’s application phase was December 1 through 5 and is already over; Cohort 2’s will be January 5 through 9 and likely will be over by the time you’re reading this. In case you’re reading this in that short window before the deadline closes, the eligibility and requirements can be found here.

Even if you apply and aren’t selected, or you don’t apply, you can still participate in the development of the 20x program. The people in charge are actively participating in discussions in the FedRAMP community; you can engage with their YouTube videos and keep on top of the community announcements, and you can read their blog.

Additionally, the timeline places the end of the phase two trial on March 31, 2026.

Will There Be a FedRAMP 20x Phase 3 Trial?

Signs point to yes.

When that process will start, what it will involve, and the timelines are all not yet pinned down. As long as nothing catastrophic goes wrong with the phase two pilot, the phase three pilot will follow.

So far, very little is known about the phase three pilot, except the overall goal and broad timing. Phase three will be a wide-scale adoption of the 20x program for Low and Moderate CSPs, through the formalization of the rules as developed and iterated on in phases one and two.

This will also be the phase when 3PAOs will be able to adopt accreditation based on the 20x framework.

Phase three is currently slated for the second half (Q3 and Q4) of 2026.

Beyond that, a phase 4 pilot is slated to follow in the first half of 2027, which is a pilot for High baseline CSPs. Only once that pilot is complete, in the second half of 2027, will previous FedRAMP Rev5 authorizations be halted and the authorization set to end-of-life.

All of this future planning is subject to change as the government shifts priorities or if there are significant roadblocks in any of the phases yet to be completed. You can keep up with the timeline by checking it directly on the 20x page.

What Else is Happening in 2026?

Surprisingly, there’s still more coming down the pipe. The shift to agile development and the change in leadership for FedRAMP have resulted in a much faster development pipeline, and changes are coming in a span of months rather than years.

From Significant Change Requests to Significant Change Notifications

One big change is the removal of a serious roadblock in the Significant Change Request process. SCRs were the required process for when a CSP made significant changes to their business that would affect security. Essentially, before the CSP could make such a significant change, they had to ask the FedRAMP PMO for permission, or risk losing authorization and having to undergo a reauthorization process. When reauthorization could take up to a year, that was serious.

The problem is, SCRs would take 3-4 months to process, which puts a huge damper on the agility and speed of growth and development a CSP could undergo.

The result is the new Significant Change Notification process, or SCN. This was part of 20x but distinct from it. Essentially, it’s a shift from “ask for permission” to “ask for forgiveness” in significant changes. As long as the CSP is maintaining adequate security and can prove so when asked, all they need to do is notify the PMO and their customers when they’re making those changes.

Implementing the Minimum Assessment Standard

A huge aspect of any security framework is figuring out what needs to be secured, versus what doesn’t. Drawing that boundary appropriately is part of scoping, and it’s historically one of the most challenging aspects of FedRAMP, CMMC, ISO 27001, and other frameworks.

Another improvement developed over the last year and slated for implementation in 2026 is the Minimum Assessment Standard, which serves as a sort of default scope that CSPs can use to base their security. It’s a way to get a huge step towards a successful scope without accidentally going too far under-scoped and earning a rejection.

Better Reciprocity with Authorized Data Sharing

Historically, for a CSP to work with multiple agencies meant they needed to either go through the now-defunct P-ATO process, or they would need to store as much information as possible in the government-managed FedRAMP information center so other agencies could access it. This was a significant burden on the government for very little value.

This new change for 2026 allows CSPs to host authorization data on Trust Centers rather than with the FedRAMP system itself, including directly integrating that information into their offering. This helps enhance reciprocity by making authorization information more readily available.

For now, this process is only in a closed beta phase and is not widely available, but it may be made more broadly available throughout the coming year.

Enhanced Requirements for Continuous Monitoring

ConMon is a big part of maintaining security after receiving authorization to operate within FedRAMP, but it had its problems.

One significant change being made in 2026 is a new Vulnerability Detection and Response standard. This VDR standard replaces previous ConMon requirements and sets a high bar for frequency of monitoring and rapid response to weaknesses. It also takes into consideration the new rapid-turnaround AI threats extant in the environment, and requires fast remediation.

Like the ADS, this is also currently in closed beta, but may be rolled out on a broader scale throughout 2026.

Recommended Secure Configurations

A smaller but potentially impactful new standard is the Recommended Secure Configuration, RFC-0015. This, once it has finished public comment, is slated to be entered into open beta immediately.

What is it? A standard that encourages CSPs to create a guidebook for secure implementation of their service, so their clients and customers don’t have to start from base principles and figure it out on their own. It’s simple, but it’s an effective way to promote further security.

Aggressive Iteration and Rapid Development

The underlying impetus for basically everything planned for 2026 and beyond is speed, agility, and efficacy.

You can expect more changes and more announcements centered around:

• Streamlining processes to reduce the burden on the limited staff of the PMO and the relatively small number of 3PAOs.
• Enhancing the use of automation and machine-readable data, both for standardization purposes and for easy validation of security across complex systems.
• Enforcing rapid turnaround of monitoring and responses to ensure robust security in the face of rapidly evolving threats.

All of this is driven by the need to modernize the federal government’s security across cloud service providers.

Additional Questions About FedRAMP in 2026

You might have a few questions we didn’t cover above, and we have some answers for you. If you have others, feel free to reach out and ask us directly; we’ll tell you what we know, though that might not be much.

Are there any plans to update NIST SP 800-53 in 2026?

Yes and no. NIST does periodically issue small updates to their documents. NIST SP 800-53 was most recently updated on August 27, 2025, to release 5.2.0. That release was small and included a few revisions, but nothing so major that it required a complete overhaul like the transition from 800-53 Rev 4 to Rev 5 a few years ago.

Are there likely to be additional small changes? Probably.

Will NIST SP 800-53 Revision 6 be published in 2026? Unlikely.

As of yet, there has been no real work put into developing a revision 6. When that work does happen, it will be a lengthy, multi-year process of drafts, public feedback, and iteration. The chances that any of it occurs by the end of 2026 are pretty low.

Will FedRAMP itself see another major version update?

This is also somewhat unlikely. FedRAMP is currently revision 5, and while a revision 6 could materialize, it’s also usually a more lengthy process.

Instead, everything we wrote above applies; FedRAMP is redesigning core systems to modernize without adhering to a strict versioning system.

Is the Ignyte Assurance Platform still a viable tool for FedRAMP compliance?

Absolutely! We designed the Ignyte Platform from the ground up to work for multiple frameworks and to be functional across version updates with a minimum of disruption. You can bet that we’re proactively ensuring that the platform functions flawlessly with everything we know about any modernizations or updates to FedRAMP, as well as other frameworks like CMMC and ISO 27001.

If you’re curious how our platform can help you stay current with FedRAMP through the coming transitions, schedule a call to see it in action and get started. We’d love to show you how it all works and how it can help you maintain effective compliance, pass audits, and more.

*** This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from Ignyte authored by Max Aulakh. Read the original post at: https://www.ignyteplatform.com/blog/fedramp/new-changes-fedramp-2026/