Email remains the primary vector for cyberattacks, posing significant threats like phishing, malware, and sophisticated business email compromise (BEC) schemes. For government agencies, contractors, and organizations handling sensitive or regulated data, the stakes are even higher. That’s why we are incredibly proud to announce a landmark achievement: Secure Email Threat Defense has officially achieved FedRAMP Class D (High) certification!

This isn’t just another certification; it’s a critical milestone that underscores Cisco’s unwavering commitment to delivering the highest standards of security and compliance for our public sector and regulated industry customers. It signifies that our robust email security solution has undergone the most rigorous evaluation, ensuring your sensitive communications are safeguarded by a trusted, proven, and now federally authorized defense.

What is FedRAMP, and Why Does it Matter to You?

The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) is the U.S. government’s standardized approach to security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring for cloud products and services. Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense for Government, FedRAMP Class D (High) Certified is a cloud-scale advanced email security layer, harnessing AI powered detections to provide comprehensive protection against advanced email threats, integrated as an API-based supplemental control or with the addition of a new Inline Mode for pre-delivery gateway-level protection.

For you, our customers, FedRAMP authorization means several crucial things:

• Enhanced Security Posture: FedRAMP demands stringent security controls, continuous monitoring, and independent third-party assessments. Email Threat Defense has successfully navigated this comprehensive evaluation, providing you with confidence that your data is protected by a solution that meets or exceeds federal cybersecurity standards against advanced email threats.
• High-Assurance Cloud Security: Operating under FedRAMP means our cloud environments adhere to strong security controls, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your sensitive email data. This level of assurance is paramount for organizations managing classified, controlled unclassified information (CUI), or other regulated data.
• Continuous Monitoring and Risk Visibility: Unlike a one-time audit, FedRAMP mandates continuous authorization. This means our security controls and underlying infrastructure are under persistent scrutiny. As threat actors evolve, so do our defenses, actively maintained and strengthened over time, giving you a constantly updated, high-trust email protection layer.

Tangible Benefits for Your Organization

The strategic value of FedRAMP certification for Email Threat Defense translates directly into significant advantages for your operations:

• Unwavering Compliance Assurance: For agencies and contractors handling CUI and other regulated data, choosing FedRAMP-certified Email Threat Defense ensures alignment with federal mandates like FISMA. It simplifies procurement, accelerates Authority to Operate (ATO) processes, and reduces overall compliance complexity, allowing you to focus on your mission-critical operations without compromising regulatory requirements.
• Reduced Vendor Risk & Increased Trust: FedRAMP certification signals that Email Threat Defense has undergone extensive third-party assessment and meets stringent government security controls. This transparency and accountability reduce your vendor risk, offering greater peace of mind in our security practices.
• Robust Incident Response and Resilience: FedRAMP’s baseline demands robust incident response capabilities, configuration management, and logging. For Email Threat Defense, this means security incidents are detected and investigated quickly, response mechanisms are formalized, and audit logs support forensic analysis, enhancing your overall resilience against attacks like phishing and BEC.
• Operational Efficiency and Cost Savings: By leveraging a FedRAMP-certified solution, agencies can avoid duplicative security assessments. The “do once, use many times” framework of FedRAMP enables cost savings by reusing authorization packages across multiple agencies, leading to lower operational costs and faster realization of security benefits.

Beyond the governance and compliance benefits, Email Threat Defense continues to deliver advanced protection capabilities that align directly with real-world email threat risks. This includes industry-leading detection for Business Email Compromise (BEC), phishing, QR Code/Quishing, and brand impersonation, all seamlessly integrated with platforms like Microsoft Office 365.

Email Threat Defense has earned top industry accolades, including the SE Labs AAA rating and leadership rankings in the 2025 KuppingerCole Leadership Compass for Email Security. With FedRAMP certification, we reinforce our leadership in secure email solutions, providing you with the most trusted and comprehensive defense against the threats that matter most.

We are committed to providing solutions that not only meet, but exceed, the rigorous demands of modern cybersecurity. With Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense for Government, you gain a powerful ally in your fight against email-borne threats, backed by government-grade security and Cisco’s legacy of innovation.

Read more about Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense for Government in the at-a-glance.