Salesforce FedRAMP compliance refers to the way Salesforce meets the security requirements set by the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP). This government-wide framework standardizes how cloud services are assessed and authorized for use by federal agencies.
FedRAMP applies NIST SP 800-53 controls and certifies platforms at Low, Moderate, or High impact levels. Salesforce Government Cloud Plus holds a FedRAMP High Provisional Authority to Operate (P-ATO), the highest standard for unclassified workloads.
For contractors and agencies, FedRAMP compliance is often a prerequisite for doing business with the federal government. It signals that Salesforce can safeguard sensitive information, apply strong encryption, and support ongoing monitoring.
This guide outlines what FedRAMP means in the context of Salesforce and how organizations can align with these requirements in practice.
What is the FedRAMP Authorization Boundary in Salesforce?
In Salesforce, the FedRAMP authorization boundary is the defined perimeter that determines which services and components are covered by FedRAMP compliance. It is important for compliance because auditors can only certify what falls inside this boundary. Anything outside of it must be documented separately and cannot be treated as compliant without review.
In the System Security Plan (SSP), the boundary specifies the Salesforce services, data flows, and platform features in scope for FedRAMP. Within Salesforce, this typically includes Government Cloud or Government Cloud Plus orgs, as well as native services such as encryption, logging, and role-based access controls—all of which are already part of Salesforce’s FedRAMP High authorization.
Components outside this perimeter, such as an on-premises data warehouse, a non-authorized AppExchange app, or Apex code calling an external API, remain the customer’s responsibility and must be documented as out of scope. The same applies to unmanaged packages and third-party middleware, which do not inherit Salesforce’s FedRAMP status.
The shared responsibility model makes ownership clear. Salesforce manages the physical infrastructure, hypervisor, and baseline platform services, including patching, vulnerability management, and encryption. Customers are responsible for the layers above that baseline, including user provisioning, permission sets, data classification, API restrictions, and integrations. The Customer Responsibility Matrix shows which NIST SP 800-53 controls are Salesforce-managed, customer-managed, or shared.
Boundaries should be reviewed regularly as environments change. New integrations, services like GovSlack, or emerging AI features may expand the perimeter. Conduct quarterly boundary reviews to track installed packages, connected apps, and data flows. If a new component begins handling government data, update the SSP and supporting documentation before the next audit.
FedRAMP Control Families Most Relevant to Salesforce
FedRAMP’s 20 NIST SP 800-53 control families apply to every Government Cloud environment, but five drive most Salesforce assessment outcomes. Mapping these controls to native capabilities and closing known gaps hardens your org and reduces audit risk.
Access Control (AC)
Defines who can see and do what in Salesforce. Role-based access controls, permission sets, and record-level sharing cover the foundation, but entitlement reviews are essential. Remove orphaned permission sets promptly; lingering access after a user’s departure is a common finding.
Audit and Accountability (AU)
Requires complete, immutable activity records. Shield Event Monitoring logs API calls and user actions, meeting AU-2 and AU-6. Many agencies fail AU checks by not exporting logs to a FedRAMP-authorized SIEM or deleting them too soon. Unmonitored logs are the compliance equivalent of a locked door with the key left out.
Configuration Management (CM)
Demands proof of every production change and the ability to roll back. Salesforce stores setup metadata, but without a structured release process, configuration drift appears quickly. Missed CM-2 baselines and undocumented hot-fixes are frequent audit issues.
Identification and Authentication (IA)
Focuses on how identities are verified. Salesforce supports SAML SSO and enforces MFA, satisfying IA-2. Risk arises when service accounts are exempted from MFA “temporarily” and never corrected, creating high-risk IA-5 exceptions.
System and Communications Protection (SC)
Requires encryption in transit and at rest. Government Cloud uses FIPS 140-2 validated modules; Shield Platform Encryption adds field-level encryption for SC-13 and SC-28.
Gaps occur when encryption is enabled but export processes still create unencrypted files on unmanaged endpoints, leading to SC-7 violations.
Other families, such as Risk Assessment and Incident Response, remain important, but prioritizing these five covers the areas auditors examine most closely. Address each methodically, document implementation, and you will remove much of the friction from FedRAMP reviews.
How to Map FedRAMP Requirements to Salesforce Security Features
FedRAMP authorization depends on mapping NIST SP 800-53 controls to the Salesforce security features that enforce them. When each control is tied to a specific configuration and supported by screenshots, logs, and change records, auditors can verify compliance quickly and without additional clarification.
Salesforce Government Cloud and Government Cloud Plus provide many platform-level controls, but customers must configure them properly and maintain audit-ready evidence.
The features below align with the high-impact controls auditors review first.
Shield Platform Encryption – SC-13, SC-28
Encrypts standard and custom object data at rest using FIPS 140-2 validated modules.
In Government Cloud Plus, keys remain inside the FedRAMP High boundary. Maintain your key management policy and rotation logs in the SSP appendix to show compliance with SC-13 and SC-28.
Event Monitoring – AU-2, AU-6
Captures logins, API calls, data exports, and configuration changes, including user, time, and source details.
Forward logs to a FedRAMP-authorized SIEM, retain them per retention requirements, and actively monitor them for anomalies. Keep a 30-day raw log sample and correlation rules to show the logs are reviewed and acted on, not just stored.
Multi-Factor Authentication – IA-2
Privileged accounts must use phishing-resistant MFA; Government Cloud Plus supports CAC/PIV authentication.
Capture enforcement through profile screenshots, IdP policy configuration, and an export of MFA-enabled accounts. Review service and API accounts on a schedule to close temporary MFA exemptions promptly.
Role-Based Access Controls – AC-2, AC-5
Profiles, roles, and permission sets enforce least privilege (AC-2) and separation of duties (AC-5).
Generate a quarterly report listing active users, assigned permissions, and last login dates to demonstrate access governance. Remove orphaned permission sets immediately, as lingering access is a frequent FedRAMP finding.
Field-Level Security – AC-3
Restricts view and edit rights for sensitive fields in line with AC-3.
Align field-level security settings with a documented data classification schema so auditors can trace protections from storage through the presentation layer. Export a field accessibility report after each release that modifies the data model.
Collect Audit-Ready Evidence
Auditors need to see not just that a control exists, but that it is actively configured, used, and maintained in alignment with FedRAMP requirements. For each control–feature pair, maintain and keep up-to-date three core artifacts:
- Configuration snapshot: Screenshot or XML extract showing the control’s current settings.
- Operational log: Record showing the control in action, such as an Event Monitoring entry or MFA authentication event.
- Narrative statement: Brief explanation of how the control mitigates risk and satisfies the related NIST requirement.
Store these in the relevant SSP appendix, and update them after significant configuration changes. Keeping evidence organized allows auditors to verify controls without requesting additional materials.
Maintain a Live Control Matrix
Instead of static spreadsheets, create a custom Salesforce object (e.g., FedRAMP_Control__c) to track each control, its mapped feature, evidence location, review date, and owner.
Assign a named owner for each control, responsible for ensuring evidence is current and refreshed according to your review schedule. Automate review reminders, attach updated screenshots after releases, and display control status in dashboards.
Government Cloud vs. Government Cloud Plus
Both environments inherit these mappings, but scope and capabilities differ. Government Cloud is FedRAMP Moderate; Government Cloud Plus is FedRAMP High and supports BCAP connections and DoD IL4 reciprocity.
For higher classifications, reference Cloud Plus capabilities in SC-12 documentation, including managed encryption and key management services.
How to Manage AppExchange and Third-Party Integrations in a FedRAMP Environment
Every new package or API connection can expand the FedRAMP authorization boundary. Without disciplined governance, these additions may weaken Salesforce’s FedRAMP High posture and risk the Authority to Operate (ATO). A consistent vetting and monitoring process keeps the boundary intact.
Pre-Installation Review
Adding a new application or integration without proper vetting can introduce security gaps and shift control ownership. Each installation should start with a structured review to confirm compliance alignment.
- Confirm FedRAMP status: Search the vendor in the FedRAMP Marketplace for Moderate or High ATO status. Vendors without an ATO require risk documentation and compensating controls.
- Validate security posture: Review SOC 2 Type II reports, recent vulnerability scans, and penetration test summaries.
- Check data handling: Verify encryption meets Government Cloud requirements (FIPS 140-2 modules, TLS 1.2+).
- Review control inheritance: Use the provider’s Control Implementation Summary to identify which NIST 800-53 controls are vendor-managed versus customer-managed.
- Capture documentation: Store security questionnaires, attestation letters, and architecture diagrams in a dedicated Salesforce library.
For CA-1 (Security Authorization) and AU-6 (Audit Review) evidence, complete a security questionnaire before installation and store the signed PDF in the compliance repository.
Unmanaged Packages
Unmanaged packages operate as customer-owned code, meaning they do not inherit Salesforce’s FedRAMP protections. Without ongoing maintenance, they can introduce vulnerabilities and compliance gaps.
Treat unmanaged packages as customer-developed code. Because Salesforce does not maintain them, the customer owns CM-3 (Configuration Change Control) and RA-5 (Vulnerability Scanning). Scan this code using the same process applied to custom Apex.
Ongoing Monitoring
FedRAMP compliance requires continuous visibility into your installed packages and integrations. Quarterly reviews help ensure only approved and supported tools remain active. Run quarterly InstalledPackages reports and follow this process:
- Compare the current list to the previous quarter’s baseline.
- Investigate additions or version changes that lack approved questionnaires.
- Remove deprecated or unused apps to prevent scope creep.
API Governance
APIs can expand your boundaries as quickly as packages if left unmonitored. Applying strict controls to API traffic reduces exposure and keeps integrations within compliance limits.
- Restrict connections to whitelisted IP ranges.
- Require OAuth 2.0 for authentication.
- Export API event logs to the SIEM and correlate them with platform events for SC-7 (Boundary Protection) and AU-2 (Audit Events) evidence.
Prefer FedRAMP-Authorized Services
Choosing services that already operate under FedRAMP authorization simplifies risk analysis and reduces documentation requirements. These services have completed the same security review process and meet baseline control expectations. When possible, use Salesforce services already operating under FedRAMP authorization. MuleSoft Government Cloud, for example, runs at FedRAMP Moderate and inherits the same FIPS-validated encryption and continuous monitoring as the core platform.
Ongoing FedRAMP Compliance in Salesforce: Monitoring and Governance
An Authority to Operate is not permanent. FedRAMP demands continuous proof that controls are functioning as intended, and auditors can request evidence at any time. Maintaining that readiness requires a combination of targeted monitoring and structured governance.
Continuous Monitoring
FedRAMP compliance does not end once an authorization is granted. Agencies and contractors must show that controls remain effective over time, which requires a structured monitoring program. In Salesforce, that means tracking both platform activity and customer-managed components, with evidence stored for audit review.
A strong monitoring program should include:
- Configuration drift detection: Compare each release against an approved baseline and investigate deviations quickly.
- Event correlation: Link Salesforce security events with network and endpoint activity through SIEM rules to identify anomalies that warrant review.
- Alerting thresholds: Flag scenarios such as privileged access without a change ticket or unusual spikes in data movement, then tie alerts directly to incident response playbooks.
- Vulnerability scanning: Run quarterly scans of customer-managed code, unmanaged packages, and integrations, and document remediation actions for traceability.
Governance Practices
Establish clear operational roles to prevent conflicts of interest and ensure every change receives independent review. A separation-of-duties matrix should outline who develops, who approves, and who certifies compliance artifacts. Require documented sign-off at each stage, and maintain an auditable record of these approvals in your deployment management process.
Schedule formal access reviews at least every 90 days to validate that active accounts and permissions remain justified. Use reporting tools to highlight dormant accounts or mismatched roles, and document remediation actions.
Make governance activities part of your change management lifecycle.
Every modification to a FedRAMP-related control family should include supporting evidence such as test results, approval records, and implementation notes, stored in an easily accessible location. Review FedRAMP clarification memos as they are published, update your SSP and internal procedures accordingly, and record the date and outcome of each review.
How to Prepare Salesforce Environments for FedRAMP Assessments
FedRAMP assessments demand precision. Even a single overlooked permission or incomplete log can delay an Authority to Operate. In Salesforce Government Cloud, platform-level controls meet FedRAMP High requirements, but assessors will scrutinize the configuration and evidence you manage inside each org.
Eliminate Common Assessment Gaps
Minor oversights can compound quickly in a FedRAMP assessment, especially when controls appear incomplete or inconsistently applied across environments. Address the failure points that most often appear in 3PAO findings:
- Inactive users retaining permission sets or active API tokens (AC-2)
- Apex debug or trace logs capturing sensitive data (AU-9)
- Inconsistent Shield Platform Encryption coverage across objects containing CUI (SC-13, SC-28)
- Event Monitoring disabled or partially enabled, leaving audit trails incomplete (AU-6)
- SSP appendices missing required artifacts such as screenshots, revision history, or narratives (CA-3)
Use a Mirrored Staging Environment
Maintain a sandbox that matches production metadata, Shield policies, and patch level. Use it for vulnerability scanning and penetration testing to meet continuous monitoring expectations without affecting production. Evidence from the sandbox must accurately reflect production conditions.
Control Change Windows
Lock down changes during the assessment window. Implement a code freeze covering the 3PAO review period, allowing only approved break-fix changes with documented risk acceptance. Log each exception in the SSP so the assessor can trace decisions.
Streamline 3PAO Collaboration
Share your Control Implementation Summary early so the assessor understands which controls you manage versus those inherited from Salesforce. Provide read-only SIEM dashboards fed by Event Monitoring exports, and hold daily check-ins to resolve questions quickly.
How Flosum Helps Salesforce Customers Maintain FedRAMP Compliance
FedRAMP compliance breaks when data leaves the authorized boundary or configuration changes bypass review. Flosum eliminates this risk by operating entirely inside Salesforce’s FedRAMP-authorized environment; no middleware, no external databases, and no gaps for auditors to flag.
If maintaining compliance, avoiding audit delays, and keeping every change within the FedRAMP boundary are priorities for your organization, we can help.
Book a consultation with Flosum today to see how we help you keep every deployment secure, compliant, and audit-ready within the FedRAMP boundary.
