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Lyra Recovery
Compliance
Federal Information Security Modernization Act

FISMA

Federal information security compliance.

Overview

What it is, in plain English.

FISMA requires every federal agency — and every contractor operating systems on their behalf — to develop, document, and implement an information security program based on NIST SP 800-53. Lyra works with civilian agencies, federal contractors, and FedRAMP-pursuing cloud service providers to build the Authority to Operate (ATO) package: categorization, control selection, SSP, assessment, and continuous monitoring.

FISMA compliance and FedRAMP-adjacent readiness for federal agencies and federal contractors — built on NIST 800-53 control families.

Who needs it

Built for organizations that have to get this right.

  • Federal civilian agencies and their support contractors

  • Cloud service providers pursuing FedRAMP Low, Moderate, or High

  • Systems integrators delivering federal information systems

  • Higher-ed and FFRDCs with federal information system responsibilities

Our approach

How we get you audit-ready and keep you there.

We don't drop policy templates and disappear. We design controls, implement them in your environment, prepare every artifact, and walk with you through the audit — then operate the program after certification so you stay compliant year over year.

  1. 01

    Categorize (FIPS 199)

    We categorize the system as Low, Moderate, or High based on confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.

  2. 02

    Select & Tailor (NIST 800-53)

    We select the baseline control set and tailor it to the system, documenting parameter values and inheritance.

  3. 03

    Implement & Document (SSP)

    We implement the controls and produce the System Security Plan, the central ATO artifact.

  4. 04

    Assess, Authorize, Monitor

    We coordinate the Security Assessment Report, support the Authorizing Official's ATO decision, and run continuous monitoring after authorization.

Key controls

What's actually in scope.

  • All applicable NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 control families

  • FIPS 199 categorization and FIPS 200 minimum requirements

  • System Security Plan (SSP), Security Assessment Plan, and Security Assessment Report

  • Plan of Action & Milestones (POA&M) management

  • Continuous monitoring strategy and metrics

  • Privacy controls and Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs)

Deliverables

What you walk away with.

  • Complete ATO package: SSP, SAR, POA&M, contingency plan, IRP

  • FIPS 199 categorization memo

  • Continuous monitoring plan

  • Support through Authorizing Official briefings

  • Annual assessment and re-authorization support

Timeline

Initial ATO: 9–18 months. Annual assessments and re-authorization (every 3 years): 3–6 months.

Questions we hear

Straight answers to the real questions.

Is FISMA the same as FedRAMP?
FedRAMP is the cloud-specific implementation of FISMA — same NIST 800-53 backbone, with additional cloud-tailored controls and a centralized PMO. If you are a CSP selling to federal agencies, FedRAMP is the path.
What changed with NIST 800-53 Rev. 5?
Rev. 5 integrated privacy and supply chain controls into the main control catalog, restructured several families, and introduced new control overlays. All new ATOs are issued against Rev. 5.
Can we get an ATO without a sponsor?
Not really — an ATO is issued by a specific federal Authorizing Official for a specific system. FedRAMP offers an alternative path through the JAB or an Agency sponsor.
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