Blog
This week, FedRAMP published two tips about security controls and incident response plans: TIP: AC-2 and IA-2 are closely related. Every group, account, or role defined in AC-2 must be explicitly addressed in IA-2. AC-2 is used to define the groups, accounts, and roles, who may be assigned to one, and how they are managed...
As we’ve continually noted in our recent blogs, Microsoft doesn’t hold back on making sure their software is continually updated for your benefit. In Office 365 Government, you find updates almost every month of the year, with recent ones focusing more pointedly on collaboration features. One feature that’s recently had a big update is Office...
This week, FedRAMP published questions and answers that discuss System Security Plans, and continuous monitoring: Q: A service previously documented in the System Security Plan (SSP) was renamed. How do we reflect the name change when we submit a Deviation Request (DR) for a vulnerability that affects the renamed service? A: Please provide a brief...
What Is a Bing Bot and What Are Microsoft Bot Services? So what exactly is a Bing bot? There are Bing bots, Skype bots, Azure bots, Bot payments, Bots for Microsoft Flow and different APIs and frameworks available which can be used to create and manage your own bots. I had the opportunity to interview Paul Stubbs, Director...
Collaboration is an essential part of government today, especially in the challenging times we live in. When a critical issue comes up and government offices need to step up, collaborating across agencies can bring a more successful solution. The trouble is, collaborating with disparate technologies frequently leads to integration issues. When there’s something critical on...
This week, FedRAMP published questions and answers that discuss FedRAMP documents, and points of contact: Q: What information does the FedRAMP PMO require for Contingency Plans and Incident Response Plans, and for testing them? A: You must use the Contingency Plan template from the Templates section of the FedRAMP website, at https://www.fedramp.gov/resources/templates-2016/. In Section 6,...
The process to obtain a Office 365 FedRAMP ATO is time consuming, manual, and paper-intensive. Until now! Introducing ATO as a Service™, an exclusive Software as a Service that automates FedRAMP processes, and shortens FedRAMP ATO timeframes for Office 365 government subscriptions. cFocus Software has partnered with Microsoft Corporation to develop ATO as a Service™, allowing...
There isn’t any end to Office 365 Government updates this year, and Microsoft’s Roadmap shows plenty more to come. One of the best since the beginning of the year is updates to Microsoft Visio Pro for Office 365. These new innovations bring more visual touches to how you do work in your government office. As...
This week, FedRAMP published QA and a tip that discusses 3PAO templates and POA&Ms: Q: When does a 3PAO have to use a new FedRAMP template and why? A: The FedRAMP PMO office does not like to cause extra effort, but we do prefer that the latest templates be used where it makes sense and is feasible,...
What if your computer could recognize your mood and deliver everyday work content to you based on your feelings and emotions? Cognitive Services, now adds facial and emotion recognition features to its customers through the company’s cloud platform, Microsoft Azure Government. This was announced during the recent Tech Summit event in Washington, DC. But what...