When Knightscope decided to bring its autonomous security robots and advanced safety technologies into the federal marketplace, they knew the road would run straight through FedRAMP Moderate. Their existing commercial AWS US East/West environment wasn’t designed for federal requirements, and retrofitting it would be slow, expensive, and risky. The answer was a greenfield build in AWS GovCloud—one that had to be architected, documented, and assessed under tight timelines.
That’s where 38North Security came in.
The Challenge: A Clean Build Under Tight Deadlines
Knightscope had no prior FedRAMP experience and a product that blended physical robotics with a complex, cloud-based software platform. The FedRAMP Moderate baseline demanded not just technical controls, but a clear system boundary, fully compliant data flows, and a body of documentation that could withstand a 3PAO’s scrutiny.
The stakes were high: Without an ATO, the federal market was closed. Without speed, the opportunity could pass.
Our Approach: Compliance Engineered from the Ground Up
We were initially engaged to write Knightscope’s FedRAMP authorization package—but it became clear within days that documentation alone wouldn’t get them across the line. The new GovCloud environment needed to be designed with compliance woven into its foundation.
We began with a rapid readiness assessment, surfacing critical gaps and sequencing them into a remediation path that prioritized high-impact fixes. Then, in lockstep with Knightscope’s team, we:
- Architected a FedRAMP-compliant AWS GovCloud environment
Defined the system boundary, secured every data flow, enforced encryption in transit and at rest, implemented strict access controls, and deployed robust monitoring. - Embedded compliance into design
Integrated security tooling and automated evidence generation wherever possible to ease operational load and speed up future audits. - Authored a complete FedRAMP documentation suite
Delivered the System Security Plan (SSP), Configuration Management Plan (CMP), and Incident Response Plan (IRP) with actionable, testable detail. - Drove assessment readiness
Prepared artifacts, coached stakeholders, and provided real-time support throughout the 3PAO assessment process.
The Results: Authorization Without Compromise
- FedRAMP Moderate ATO achieved
- Zero high-risk findings—a rare feat for a first-time authorization
- Architecture and documentation praised by assessors
- Fast turnaround from environment build to ATO approval
After the ATO: Building a Sustainable Compliance Function
Our work didn’t end with the approval letter. We transitioned seamlessly into continuous monitoring support, helping Knightscope mature its internal compliance practice by:
- Enhancing audit and log visibility with Elastic Cloud dashboards
- Maintaining FedRAMP documentation and POA&M tracking
- Guiding monthly and annual reporting cycles
- Running incident response simulations and evidence generation exercises
A Platform Ready for the Federal Stage
Knightscope entered the engagement with an ambitious goal: break into the federal market with a secure, credible, and auditable platform. By pairing deep FedRAMP expertise with hands-on AWS engineering, we delivered a system—and a compliance posture—that exceeded expectations.
With an ATO in hand and a hardened, monitorable GovCloud deployment, Knightscope’s offering now stands as a secure, reliable choice for federal agencies—and a foundation for long-term market growth.
