Appian Secures the Government's Most Sensitive Civilian Data with FedRAMP® High Authorization for Appian Government Cloud

Rhea-AI Summary

Appian (NASDAQ: APPN) has achieved a significant security milestone as its Appian Government Cloud (AGC) received FedRAMP High authorization, enabling it to host highly sensitive government civilian data. The company also renewed its Impact Level 5 (IL5) Provisional Authority for a three-year period from the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA).

The FedRAMP High designation allows AGC to handle critical data in law enforcement, emergency services, financial, and health systems. This authorization comes as Appian celebrates its 10th year of FedRAMP authorization, with Appian Cloud maintaining FedRAMP Moderate status since 2015.

AGC operates as a Platform/Software-as-a-Service cloud offering for federal civilian and Department of Defense organizations. The platform is now used by 22 different federal agencies, including every cabinet-level agency, with the US Department of Interior joining in 2024.

Positive

• Secured highest level of federal security authorization (FedRAMP High) expanding addressable market
• Renewed Impact Level 5 authorization for three years, strengthening DoD market position
• Presence across all cabinet-level agencies, indicating strong government sector penetration
• 10-year track record of maintaining FedRAMP authorization demonstrates reliability

Negative

• None.

Insights

Cybersecurity Compliance Expert

Appian's achievement of FedRAMP High authorization represents a significant competitive differentiator that substantially expands its addressable market within federal agencies. This certification permits Appian Government Cloud to handle the most sensitive unclassified federal data—information where security breaches could potentially result in loss of life or financial catastrophe—creating an elite qualification few software vendors possess.

The simultaneous three-year renewal of Impact Level 5 (IL5) authorization further solidifies Appian's position with Department of Defense customers. What's particularly valuable is the shared responsibility model where Appian's customers inherit the majority of security controls, dramatically reducing their compliance burden and accelerating deployment timelines for mission-critical applications.

These dual authorizations create a formidable competitive moat. The investment required to achieve and maintain these certifications is substantial, involving rigorous third-party assessments, continuous monitoring, and specialized security infrastructure. This effectively locks out competitors who lack the resources or expertise to meet these standards, while simultaneously creating significant switching costs for existing customers.

Reaching the milestone of 10 years of FedRAMP authorization further demonstrates Appian's long-term commitment to security excellence in government computing. The company's ability to maintain compliance across multiple federal standards signals operational discipline that public sector customers highly value when selecting technology partners for sensitive workloads.

Government Technology Analyst

Appian's expanded security authorizations arrive at a strategically optimal moment as federal agencies increasingly prioritize process automation and AI implementation. The company now possesses the necessary credentials to bid on virtually any federal contract, including those involving the most sensitive data across civilian and defense sectors.

The timing aligns perfectly with the administration's Executive Order on Federal Agency AI Use, positioning Appian to capitalize on the mandate for secure AI adoption across government business processes. With these certifications, Appian eliminates regulatory barriers that would otherwise delay or prevent implementations.

Appian's penetration across every cabinet-level agency and 22 different federal entities demonstrates remarkable market breadth in a notoriously challenging sector. The recent addition of the Department of Interior completes Appian's presence across all major departments, a rare achievement that signals robust solution-market fit and established procurement channels.

This comprehensive certification portfolio transforms Appian's sales motion from convincing agencies about security credentials to focusing conversations on business outcomes and implementation speed. For federal technologists under pressure to modernize legacy systems while maintaining rigorous security, Appian now offers a pre-vetted solution that significantly reduces project risk and compliance complexity.

The company's 25-year history with government clients combined with these premium security credentials positions Appian as a trusted insider in a market where relationships and past performance heavily influence procurement decisions. This creates a formidable competitive advantage against both larger enterprise vendors and smaller low-code platform competitors lacking equivalent security qualifications.

Receives Full Three-year Impact Level 5 PA and Celebrates 10 Years of FedRAMP Authorization for Appian Cloud

MCLEAN, Va., April 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Appian (NASDAQ: APPN) today announced that Appian Government Cloud (AGC) has obtained Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP®) High authorization, which will enable it to host highly sensitive government civilian data for Appian's federal civilian customers where a security breach could result in loss of life or financial ruin. Appian has also renewed its Impact Level 5 (IL5) Provisional Authority to Operate (PA) from the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) for AGC for a three-year period. With IL5 compliance, AGC is authorized to host Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), mission-critical information.

AGC's designation confirms its ability to handle highly sensitive, unclassified data for federal civilian customers.

Appian Government Cloud achieves FedRAMP High authorization.
FedRAMP is a government-wide program that standardizes security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring for cloud services, enabling agencies to adopt secure cloud technologies. The FedRAMP High designation is awarded to cloud providers that partner with a federal agency and pass a rigorous third-party security assessment. AGC's designation confirms its ability to handle highly sensitive, unclassified data, including information critical to protecting lives and financial assets.

High impact data is found in law enforcement, emergency services, financial, and health systems, where data loss could have severe or catastrophic consequences. FedRAMP's High baseline addresses the government's most sensitive unclassified data, ensuring its security in cloud environments.

"Appian Government Cloud achieving FedRAMP High and IL5 means that government customers can now implement the directive of the administration's Executive Order on Federal Agency AI Use and securely add AI across their business processes today," said Michael Beckley, Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Appian.

Appian Government Cloud receives three-year IL5 authorization to enable secure, improved processes for the DoD.
AGC is a platform-as-a-service (PaaS)/Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) cloud offering that enables federal civilian and Department of Defense (DoD) organizations to run better processes that reduce costs, improve citizen experiences, and gain a strategic edge in an environment that meets stringent security standards. With an IL5 authorization, Appian manages the security of the underlying computing environment, enabling DoD mission owners to focus on building applications to meet their mission. A shared responsibility model allows application owners to inherit the majority security controls from Appian. While AGC has maintained an IL5 authorization since 2022, Appian has now received a three-year PA, demonstrating the DoD's continued trust in Appian's ability to provide industry-leading security and availability.

Appian marks 10 years of FedRAMP authorization.
Appian's commitment to providing comprehensive security and compliance in the cloud goes beyond AGC. Since 2015, Appian Cloud has maintained its FedRAMP Moderate status, with this year's authorization marking its 10th consecutive year of compliance. Appian Cloud customers benefit from a secure AI infrastructure, significant time and cost savings, improved security risk management, and enhanced program transparency for mission-critical federal operations. Appian Cloud is used by 22 different agencies across the federal government, including the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Labor, Department of State, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The FedRAMP High authorization for AGC, renewal of the IL5 PA for AGC, and 10-year FedRAMP Moderate authorization for Appian Cloud are the latest achievements in Appian's 25-year history of working with the US Government. In 2024, Appian welcomed the US Department of Interior to its customer portfolio, marking a key milestone as the company is now trusted by every cabinet-level agency in the government.

For more information about Appian's public sector offerings and compliance certifications, visit: https://appian.com/industries/public-sector/overview

About Appian

Appian is The Process Company. We deliver a software platform that helps organizations run better processes that reduce costs, improve customer experiences, and gain a strategic edge. Committed to client success, we serve many of the world's largest companies across industries. For more information, visit appian.com. [Nasdaq: APPN]

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SOURCE Appian

FAQ

What does Appian's FedRAMP High authorization mean for government data security?

It enables AGC to host highly sensitive government civilian data where security breaches could result in loss of life or financial ruin, particularly in law enforcement, emergency services, financial, and health systems.

How many federal agencies currently use Appian Cloud (APPN)?

22 different federal agencies use Appian Cloud, including every cabinet-level agency in the US government.

What is the duration of Appian's new Impact Level 5 authorization for AGC?

Appian received a three-year Impact Level 5 (IL5) Provisional Authority to Operate from DISA for AGC.

How long has Appian maintained its FedRAMP authorization?

Appian Cloud has maintained FedRAMP Moderate status for 10 consecutive years, since 2015.