North Carolina, GovRAMP join forces to strengthen cloud security

North Carolina's Department of Information Technology has partnered with the nonprofit GovRAMP to strengthen security standards for cloud vendors serving the state and better protect government data, reports StateScoop.

As part of the collaboration, North Carolina will adopt GovRAMP's standardized cybersecurity framework to evaluate cloud vendors, using benchmarks aligned with National Institute of Standards and Technology guidance and requiring audits and ongoing monitoring.

"By adopting a consistent approach, were not only protecting the state's digital assets, but we are empowering agencies to more quickly deliver online services for North Carolinians," Teena Piccione, NCDIT secretary and state chief information officer, emphasized.

GovRAMP functions as a validation program, giving state agencies a standardized cybersecurity framework grounded in guidance from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. With this partnership, North Carolina joins more than 23 states, including California, Arizona, Texas, Georgia, Utah, and Michigan, that already use or recognize the nonprofit's approach to help evaluate cloud providers.