CUI Compliant
0 NIST 800-171 gaps detected. FedRAMP authorized at Moderate impact level. Approved for CUI handling in DoD environments.
Box for Government
by Box
FedRAMP Status
FedRAMP Authorized
Impact Level
Moderate
Category
File Sharing
Authorized: June 12, 2017 | Sponsor: Department of Justice
Overview
Box for Government provides FedRAMP Moderate authorized file sharing and collaboration with granular access controls, audit logging, and data loss prevention for government users.
CUI Risk Assessment
FedRAMP authorized at Moderate impact level. Approved for CUI handling in DoD environments.
Using Box for Government in a Defense Contractor Environment
Box for Government excels in defense contractor environments handling technical documentation, contract deliverables, and administrative CUI categories including FOUO technical drawings, export-controlled design specifications, financial performance reports, and contractor personnel records. Within CMMC Level 2 authorization boundaries, Box for Government serves as the primary collaborative file storage system, typically positioned behind organizational firewalls with federated identity integration through government-approved SAML providers. The platform's FedRAMP Moderate authorization aligns perfectly with CUI Basic requirements, eliminating the need for compensating controls when properly configured with organizational policies for data classification and user access management. DCMA and DIBCAC assessors consistently evaluate Box for Government favorably during CMMC assessments, focusing on verification of proper tenant isolation, audit log retention policies, and integration with organizational identity management systems. Recent DCMA compliance reviews have highlighted Box for Government as a model implementation, particularly praising its granular permission structures and comprehensive audit capabilities. Assessors typically examine the organizational data governance policies governing Box usage rather than the platform's technical controls, which benefit from inherited FedRAMP authorizations. The tool's government-specific tenant architecture ensures CUI segregation from commercial users, addressing a key concern in defense contractor environments. Integration with DoD PKI certificates and CAC authentication further strengthens its position in government contracts requiring enhanced access controls.
Deployment & Architecture
Deployment Model: Government Cloud (FedRAMP boundary)
Box for Government operates within a FedRAMP-authorized boundary. CUI can be processed within the authorization scope, but contractors must verify their specific use case falls within the system's security boundary as documented in the SSP.
Implementation Guide
Defense contractors implementing Box for Government should plan a 6-8 week phased deployment beginning with tenant provisioning and identity federation setup (weeks 1-2), followed by pilot group migration of non-CUI data (weeks 3-4), then full organizational rollout with CUI data migration (weeks 5-6), concluding with compliance documentation updates and user training (weeks 7-8). During CUI data migration, maintain chain of custody documentation and ensure all transfers occur within encrypted channels with audit logging enabled. User training focuses on data classification markings, appropriate sharing protocols, and incident reporting procedures, requiring approximately 4 hours per user across security awareness and platform-specific modules. Compliance documentation updates include modifying the System Security Plan to reflect Box for Government as an authorized external service provider, updating authorization boundary diagrams to show data flow paths, and creating POA&M entries for any temporary configuration gaps during migration. No migration away from Box for Government is necessary given its FedRAMP Moderate authorization and CUI compatibility. Configuration costs range from $15,000-$30,000 for professional services covering tenant setup, identity integration, and policy configuration, plus ongoing subscription costs of $15-25 per user monthly depending on storage requirements and advanced feature utilization.
Configuration Checklist
- 1ISSO shall verify Box for Government tenant is provisioned within FedRAMP boundary and obtain ATO documentation for inclusion in organizational authorization package.
- 2System administrator must configure SAML SSO integration with organizational identity provider ensuring PIV/CAC authentication compatibility per NIST 800-63 requirements.
- 3ISSO shall establish data governance policies defining CUI marking requirements and approved sharing protocols within Box for Government tenant.
- 4System administrator must enable comprehensive audit logging with 90-day retention minimum and configure automated log forwarding to organizational SIEM system.
- 5ISSO shall update System Security Plan section 10 to document Box for Government as external service provider with appropriate security control inheritance mappings.
- 6Contracts officer must verify Box for Government usage aligns with DFARS 252.204-7012 cloud computing requirements and adequate security provisions.
- 7ISSO shall create user access matrix defining role-based permissions aligned with organizational CUI access authorization procedures.
- 8System administrator must configure data loss prevention policies preventing unauthorized CUI exfiltration and enforcing organizational data classification requirements.
- 9Training officer shall deliver Box for Government security awareness training covering CUI handling procedures and incident reporting requirements.
- 10ISSO shall document Box for Government implementation in POA&M tracking compliance milestones and outstanding configuration items requiring remediation.
Compliance Cross-References
Box for Government's FedRAMP Moderate authorization directly supports NIST 800-171 control families AC (Access Control) through its granular permission system and federated identity integration, AU (Audit and Accountability) via comprehensive activity logging and reporting capabilities, SC (System and Communications Protection) through encryption in transit and at rest, and IA (Identification and Authentication) via integration with organizational PKI infrastructure. Implementation triggers DFARS 252.204-7012 cloud computing security requirements, necessitating verification of adequate security provisions and FedRAMP authorization inheritance documentation. CMMC Level 2 assessment domains significantly impacted include Access Control (AC.L2), Audit and Accountability (AU.L2), System and Information Integrity (SI.L2), and Identification and Authentication (IA.L2), where Box for Government's capabilities directly satisfy assessment objectives without requiring additional organizational controls. The FedRAMP Moderate baseline provides comprehensive control inheritance reducing organizational implementation burden across 18 control families, with particular strength in incident response capabilities and continuous monitoring requirements essential for CUI protection in defense contractor environments.
Other FedRAMP Authorized File Sharing Tools
Related Compliance Assessments
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Box for Government FedRAMP authorized?
Yes. Box for Government holds FedRAMP Moderate authorization for file sharing and content management.
Can I use Box for Government with CUI?
Box for Government is authorized at Moderate. It supports CUI file sharing with appropriate access controls and audit trails.
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