GovDash Security Policies and FAQ

Executive Summary

GovDash is a secure, cloud-based platform purpose-built for government contractors in order to help them run more successful business development pursuits. Given the nature of the work that government contractors engage in, GovDash was designed from the ground up to reflect stringent U.S. federal cybersecurity standards, including NIST SP 800-171 and FedRAMP Moderate requirements. GovDash is a secure, cloud-based platform designed for government contractors to enhance their business development efforts.

GovDash operates within AWS GovCloud (US), a cloud environment certified at the FedRAMP High impact level⁽¹⁾. This means GovDash leverages a highly vetted infrastructure where many security controls are already in place and audited.

In addition, GovDash offers a single-tenant deployment option to customers, providing isolated resources that prevent any possibility of data mingling between clients. This design, combined with robust encryption, access controls, monitoring, and a comprehensive security program, makes GovDash a trustworthy choice for managing sensitive data.

Recognizing that software bugs and human errors are possible, GovDash implements multiple layers of defense to maintain security even if a mistake occurs. For decision-makers, the takeaway is clear: GovDash offers a security-first platform, reducing risk and simplifying compliance for your organization.

This document is designed to provide security teams with a comprehensive overview of GovDash and its security posture. It details GovDash's technical controls, design principles, compliance efforts, and overall commitment to data protection.

GovDashʼs Security Approach

GovDash maintains a security-first approach in both its product architecture and its operations. This means security considerations are integrated at every phase: from software development practices to infrastructure deployment and day-to-day management. Key aspects of GovDashʼs approach include offering isolated cloud deployments for each customer, adhering to fundamental security principles in development/operations, and enforcing comprehensive security policies across the organization.

Single-Tenant Deployment in AWS GovCloud (US)

GovDash offers a single-tenant deployment model in AWS GovCloud in which  each customer gets their own isolated instance of the GovDash platform. Under this model, no GovDash customers who elect single-tenant deployments ever share databases, application instances, or virtual networks. This physical and logical isolation guarantees that one customer’s data and activities remain completely inaccessible to any other customer. In practice, GovDash stands up a separate dedicated environment for each client – an approach advocated by industry leaders to maximize cloud security. By isolating tenants at the infrastructure level, GovDash ensures that even a potential compromise or heavy load in one tenant cannot affect the security or availability of another. This single-tenant strategy aligns with best practices for high-security SaaS: a tenant is the fundamental unit of trust. The result is a level of isolation comparable to each customer having their own private cloud – but with the managed convenience of a SaaS solution.

Even in its standard multi-tenant SaaS offering, GovDash logically isolates each customer’s data via unique identifiers and access controls. However, the single-tenant option goes a step further by physically and logically segregating resources at the cloud infrastructure level.

Security Principles in Development & Operations

At the core of GovDashʼs design philosophy are eight security principles:

1. Know your goals

2. Be clear what you trust

3. Security as the default

4. No hidden state

5. Limit your credentials in scope and time

6. Follow the process

7. Threats come from every direction

8. Check your work, then have somebody else check it

GovDash embraces these key principles and aligns them with our operations. For example, “Security as the default” is a guiding rule – every system is designed to be secure from the start, rather than bolting on security after deployment . GovDash systems are built with secure configurations by default, and only if a modification is proven safe is it allowed. This prevents the common scenario of starting with an open, multi-tenant system and later scrambling to add isolation.

Another principle is to limit your credentials in scope and time: GovDash ensures users and services have only the minimum access required, only for the duration needed. We treat every component and integration with a zero-trust mindset, being very clear about what we trust (and what we don’t) in our architecture . We also recognize that threats come from every direction - this drives us to implement defense-in-depth – multiple overlapping security measures – and to rigorously check our work (and have others check it). By adhering to these principles, GovDash creates a culture of security that influences all design and implementation decisions.

Comprehensive Security Policies and Governance

In addition to technical measures, GovDash has a robust security governance program with formal policies covering all critical areas of cybersecurity. These policies guide our team’s actions and ensure consistency with industry standards and regulations:

• Risk Management Policy – GovDash continuously identifies and assesses security risks to its platform and operations. We perform regular risk assessments, ensuring that mitigations are in place for threats that could impact confidentiality, integrity, or availability of customer data. This proactive stance aligns with NISTʼs risk management framework and helps us prioritize security efforts where they matter most.
  
  

• Incident Response Policy – GovDash has a documented incident response plan that outlines how to detect, respond to, and recover from security incidents. Our team is on call 24/7 to address any security events. We follow a standard incident handling process (preparation, identification, containment, eradication, recovery, and lessons learned). This ensures that if an incident occurs, we can react swiftly to minimize impact and notify affected customers.
  
  

• Cryptography Policy – We enforce strict guidelines on the use of encryption and cryptographic controls. All sensitive data in GovDash is encrypted both at rest and in transit using FIPS 140-2 validated cryptographic modules, as mandated by federal data protection standards.  Our policy dictates key management practices including key rotation, secure key storage using AWS Key Management Service (KMS), and strong encryption algorithms. This policy ensures data stored in GovDash remains confidential and unaltered, even if infrastructure were compromised.
  
  

• Data Management Policy – GovDash handles customer data with the highest care throughout its lifecycle. The policy covers data retention and disposal, assuring that we only retain data as long as necessary and securely delete it when no longer needed. Backups are encrypted and protected. Additionally, we support data erasure requests — if a customer leaves, GovDash can reliably and permanently delete that customer’s data, reflecting a commitment to data privacy and sanitization.
  
  

• Third-Party Management Policy – Recognizing that our security is also reliant on our vendors and partners, GovDash maintains a strict third-party risk management program . We vet all third-party services (such as software libraries, SaaS integrations, or subcontractors) for security and compliance. Contracts with vendors include security provisions. We monitor suppliers for any reported vulnerabilities or incidents (for example, critical zero-day vulnerabilities in a dependency) and have processes to quickly patch or replace third-party components when risks emerge. By managing third-party cyber risk proactively, we ensure that our overall security posture is not undermined by an external partner.
  
  

These policies are reviewed at least annually and after any significant changes to the environment. They align with federal guidelines and industry best practices, providing a governance structure that keeps GovDashʼs day-to-day operations secure by design. If you have not already been provided with our full policy documents, please contact your representative at GovDash.

NIST 800-171

NIST Special Publication 800-171 is the de-facto standard for protecting the confidentiality of Controlled Unclassified Information in non-federal systems. It defines 110 security requirements organized into 14 families (domains) ranging from access control and incident response to physical security. GovDash is engineered with these requirements in mind.

Below, we highlight how GovDash addresses key control areas of 800-171:

• Access Control (AC) – GovDash implements robust access controls to ensure that only authorized individuals can access systems and data. Each user is uniquely identified and assigned roles with least privilege, meaning they only get the minimum access necessary for their job. Administrative access to GovDash systems requires multi-factor authentication (MFA), and we support  SSO (Single Sign-On) so that organizations can manage user identities and privileges centrally.
  
  

• Identification & Authentication (IA) – As noted, GovDash uses strong authentication mechanisms. All critical system accounts must adhere to strong password policies, and MFA is enabled for all users . GovDash also supports authentication through mutual TLS for access between services, ensuring that systems mutually verify each other before exchanging data.
  
  

• Audit & Accountability (AU) – We log all significant events, including logins, administrative actions, data modification, and configuration changes. These logs are timestamped and append-only. This level of logging helps customers detect and investigate any unauthorized activity. Audit logs are stored centrally and retained in accordance with compliance needs, and we regularly review logs for signs of anomalies.
  
  

• Configuration Management (CM) – The configuration of GovDash systems is managed through Infrastructure as Code and undergoes strict change control. Baseline configurations are established to be secure (for example, secure network settings, least-functionality on servers, and slim OS images). We monitor cloud resources and ensure they remain in the approved, secure configuration state. If a configuration drifts from the baseline, diffs are generated so that the issue can be quickly identified and corrected.
  
  

• Incident Response (IR) – We have defined incident response roles and communications plans. In the event of a suspected breach or security incident, our team follows the established procedure to contain and eradicate the threat. We also meet the 72-hour incident reporting requirement (per DFARS and CMMC) by having processes to notify affected customers if data were compromised.
  
  

• System & Communications Protection (SC) – GovDash protects data in transit with strong encryption protocols. All web interactions with the platform are forced over HTTPS using HSTS and TLS 1.2+ (with modern ciphers), and critical service-to-service communications also occur over encrypted channels (mTLS). We isolate network segments so that data and processes that need higher trust (like database and cache clusters) are not directly accessible from the internet. GovDash also employs an AWS Application Load Balancer (ALB) to control traffic ingress from the public internet.
  
  

• System & Information Integrity (SI) – GovDash actively monitors for vulnerabilities and integrity issues. We run automated vulnerability scans on our systems and applications. All software dependencies are tracked, and security patches are applied promptly (we aim to patch critical vulnerabilities within 24 hours). Additionally, GovDash monitors AWS logs and network flow for signs of intrusion or anomalous behavior. This proactive approach ensures that any integrity issues (like malware, trojans, or data tampering attempts) are swiftly discovered and addressed.
  
  

Other 800-171 control families — such as Awareness & Training, Maintenance, Media Protection, Physical Protection, Personnel Security, and Risk Assessment — are also addressed by GovDash through policy, training, and inherited AWS controls, as discussed later.

By proactively surpassing the minimum standards, GovDash provides contractors with a security solution that not only checks the compliance boxes but truly safeguards their sensitive data against advanced threats.

FedRAMP & AWS GovCloud Inherited Controls

GovDashʼs deployment in AWS GovCloud (US) allows it to inherit a substantial set of security controls from AWSʼs FedRAMP-authorized infrastructure. AWS GovCloud is assessed and authorized at the FedRAMP High baseline by the Joint Authorization Board, meaning it meets the rigorous NIST 800-53 controls for high-impact systems⁽²⁾.

For GovDash customers, this has immediate security benefits. Many controls required by FedRAMP (and by association NIST 800-171/CMMC) are handled by AWS, so GovDash and its users don’t have to implement those from scratch. For example, AWSʼs data centers have extensive physical security measures, environmental protections, and media protection controls that have already been audited and approved. As a result, when using GovDash on AWS GovCloud, customers inherit the controls for Physical Security, Environmental Security, and Media Protection directly from AWS⁽³⁾. There is no need for GovDash or its customers to document how we lock down server rooms or handle disk destruction – AWS has it covered, and those controls are validated through FedRAMP. Any application built on their FedRAMP infrastructure automatically inherits those controls and does not need to re-address them.

Beyond physical and environmental safeguards, AWS also provides inherited controls in areas like network infrastructure defense and underlying system hardening. A practical example: AWS GovCloudʼs FedRAMP package includes pre-vetted configurations and services that meet FedRAMP Moderate/High requirements. One FedRAMP-authorized SaaS provider noted that through the AWS shared responsibility model, they inherited over 46 FedRAMP-required security controls from AWS GovCloud, which accelerated their own compliance journey⁽⁴⁾. GovDash leverages this same model – AWS has done the heavy lifting on dozens of controls, from perimeter firewalls to hypervisor security, and GovDash builds on that foundation. This inheritance significantly reduces the compliance burden on GovDash and its users. In practical terms, GovDash can focus on application-level security, confident that the data center facilities and core cloud services meet FedRAMP requirements for confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

FedRAMP Moderate – FedRAMP Moderate corresponds to the NIST 800-53 moderate baseline, which covers a broad set of security and privacy controls.

GovDashʼs security practices are mapped to this baseline to ensure that we support government compliance needs. In the shared responsibility model, while AWS handles the underlying infrastructure controls, GovDash is responsible for the controls at the application and data layer. This includes controls around account management, user training, incident response, contingency planning (we have disaster recovery with regular backups), and more. For auditing purposes, GovDash can provide documentation of how our security practices map to FedRAMP Moderate requirements, and how AWS GovCloudʼs inherited controls fill in the rest. GovDash is working toward its own FedRAMP authorization by ensuring continuous compliance and third-party assessments of our controls.

Until then, our customers can be confident that GovDashʼs security architecture and policies reflect the FedRAMP Moderate standards, thanks to the combination of our internal controls and AWS GovCloudʼs inherited controls. To illustrate, here are a few specific FedRAMP Moderate controls and how they are addressed through the combination of AWS GovCloud and GovDashʼs measures:

• Physical & Environmental Security (FedRAMP controls in the PE family) – Inherited: As mentioned, AWS GovCloud data centers enforce stringent physical access control, power redundancy, fire suppression, and climate control. GovDash inherits these controls and does not need separate physical servers, eliminating a large chunk of risk.
  
  

• Identification and Authentication (IA) – AWS provides identity and access management for the cloud resources (e.g., AWS IAM for GovDashʼs infrastructure components), and GovDash configures it following best practices (unique accounts, strong passwords, MFA for console access, etc.) Meanwhile, GovDashʼs application handles user identities for the app itself, implementing strong authentication for end-users via methods such as email-code-based login and SSO. Together, these meet FedRAMP requirements for identifying and authenticating all users and administrators.
  
  

• Vulnerability Management (RA/SI) – While AWS keeps the cloud infrastructure updated, GovDash monitors its application and servers. This addresses FedRAMP controls around periodic vulnerability scanning and prompt remediation. Results from scans and any incidents are documented and remediations are promptly applied.
  
  

• Encryption (SC) – AWS GovCloudʼs services (S3, RDS, etc.) support FIPS 140-2 validated encryption, and GovDash enables these for all stored data and uses FIPS endpoints for all transmitted data. GovDash manages the encryption keys using AWS KMS and ensures application-level encryption is also in place for data fields as needed. This layered approach addresses FedRAMPʼs stringent encryption requirements for data at rest and in transit.
  
  

• Personnel Security (PS) – FedRAMP requires background screening for personnel. GovDash exceeds this by employing only U.S. persons for roles with access to sensitive systems and conducting background checks on all such employees. Additionally, GovDash staff with administrative access receive training to understand their security duties.
  
  

By leveraging AWS GovCloud and implementing complementary controls, GovDash can streamline a contractorʼs ability to comply with requirements like FedRAMP or CMMC, since customers inherit AWSʼs FedRAMP controls through GovDash, and they benefit from GovDashʼs security controls and policies that map to government standards.

Technical Controls & Best Practices

From a technical standpoint, GovDash implements a wide array of controls and follows best practices to protect data and defend against cyber threats. These controls span data encryption, identity and access management, logging and monitoring, vulnerability management, and the software development lifecycle. By using modern security technologies and practices, GovDash ensures that its platform is resilient against real-world attacks. Below are key technical controls and practices in place:

• Data Encryption (At Rest and In Transit): GovDash uses robust encryption to protect data both when itʼs stored and when itʼs transmitted. All data at rest in the GovDash platform (database records, file storage, backups) is encrypted using AES-256 or similarly strong algorithms. This encryption is enforced through AWS GovCloud storage services (for example, data in Amazon S3 and RDS is encrypted with AWS-managed keys by default). In transit, data is protected by TLS encryption — the platform forces HTTPS for all web communications and encrypts API calls and integration points. Even internal service-to-service communications within GovDashʼs cloud network occur over encrypted channels/isolated private subnets. By encrypting data at multiple levels, GovDash ensures that even if data were intercepted or accessed without authorization, it would be unreadable and useless to attackers. (Notably, AWS GovCloudʼs use of FIPS 140-2 validated cryptographic modules adds assurance that the encryption meets federal standards.)⁽⁵⁾
  
  

• Identity and Access Control: Strong access control mechanisms are central to GovDashʼs security. Every user of GovDash has a unique identity, and access to features or data is governed by role-based access control as configured by the customerʼs administrators. GovDash supports integration with federated identity providers so that customers can manage user access through their enterprise Single Sign-On, if desired. Admin-level actions in the GovDash application require elevated permissions, and all access to the underlying cloud infrastructure by GovDash operations staff is protected with multi-factor authentication and secured VPN access. Within the AWS environment, GovDash employs the principle of least privilege for all AWS IAM roles and keys – each service or function only has permissions to the resources absolutely necessary, and credentials must be refreshed regularly to retain access. This reduces the impact of any potential credential compromise. Additionally, GovDash has controls to prevent brute-force attacks to further protect against unauthorized access attempts.
  
  

• Logging and Continuous Monitoring: GovDash generates comprehensive logs from all parts of the system. This includes application logs (user activities, errors), security logs (authentication attempts, access control decisions), and AWS cloud logs (AWS CloudTrail events, VPC Flow Logs, OS-level syslogs). All logs are time-stamped and stored securely. They are also backed up to ensure retention for compliance purposes. GovDashʼs security team monitors these logs for signs of anomalies or malicious behavior. For example, if an unusual pattern of data access or an unexpected change in system configuration is detected, the security team takes action immediately. This monitoring aligns with best practices and FedRAMP requirements for ongoing situational awareness⁽⁶⁾. It means potential issues can be identified and addressed in near real-time. GovDash can provide logging and audit reports to customers on request, which can be used to support the customers’ own compliance reporting (e.g., demonstrating to an auditor that all access to data in GovDash is tracked and reviewed).
  
  

• Vulnerability Management & Patching: GovDash has a proactive vulnerability management process. Vulnerability scans are run on the application (to check for OWASP Top 10 issues, outdated libraries, misconfigurations, etc.) and on the underlying server images (to identify missing patches or insecure settings). GovDash leverages a variety of third-party scanning tools to cover different layers of the stack. When a vulnerability is identified, it is logged and prioritized based on severity. GovDashʼs engineering team follows strict timelines for patching: critical vulnerabilities are addressed as soon as possible (often within 24-48 hours), while lower-risk issues are resolved in the normal development cycle. The platform’s architecture, using automated deployment, allows updates to be rolled out quickly and consistently across all environments, which helps keep all customers protected without delay. Additionally, GovDash is committed to annual third-party penetration tests to get an external assessment of its security and to ensure no critical issues are overlooked. The results of these tests are used to further harden the system. This rigorous approach to vulnerability management ensures that GovDash stays ahead of threats and remains compliant with requirements for system integrity (which mandate prompt flaw remediation).
  
  

• Secure Development Lifecycle (SDLC): GovDash follows a Secure Development Lifecycle, integrating security checkpoints from design through deployment (often termed DevSecOps). At the design phase, new features are reviewed for potential security impact and necessary controls. During implementation, developers use secure coding standards and peer review each otherʼs code for security issues or logic errors. GovDash also makes use of automated static analysis tools that scan the source code for known issues and vulnerability patterns. In the testing phase, dynamic security testing is performed on running instances of the software to find issues like SQL injection, XSS, or access control weaknesses. Infrastructure-as-code templates are similarly checked for security best practices (for example, ensuring that storage buckets are not inadvertently left open, security groups are properly restrictive, etc.). Before each release, a suite of automated tests must pass and a manual security review is performed, enforcing quality gates. By embedding these practices, GovDash significantly reduces the introduction of new vulnerabilities and ensures that security is continuously maintained even as the product evolves. Moreover, developers and engineers receive regular training on the latest security threats and secure coding techniques, fostering a security-aware culture.
  
  

• Backup, Resilience, and Recovery: As part of its technical best practices, GovDash has robust data backup and disaster recovery mechanisms. Customer data is backed up on a defined schedule (with more frequent snapshots for critical databases) and stored across multiple secure locations within AWS GovCloud. The backups are encrypted and tested periodically to verify data integrity and the ability to restore. In the event of a major incident or regional outage, GovDash can restore services from these backups, minimizing downtime. This practice aligns with both security and operational continuity best practices, ensuring that even under adverse conditions (cyberattack, hardware failure, etc.), customer data remains safe and GovDash can resume normal operations quickly. System redundancy and high-availability architecture (such as load-balanced stateless application servers) are employed to prevent single points of failure. These measures exceed many of the minimum requirements and offer enterprise-grade resilience for all GovDash users.
  
  

Collectively, these technical controls and best practices illustrate GovDashʼs deep commitment to security. By combining strong encryption, disciplined access control, vigilant monitoring, proactive vulnerability management, and secure development practices, GovDash creates a hardened environment to protect against both common and advanced threats. Government contractors using GovDash can be confident that the platformʼs security measures are continuously operating on their behalf to keep sensitive data protected.

Conclusion

As government contractors face increasing cybersecurity requirements and sophisticated threats, GovDash stands out as a platform that has security built-in at every level. Through inheritance of FedRAMP controls via AWS GovCloud, GovDash removes much of the security burden from its customers.

GovDashʼs security-first approach – from offering single-tenant isolated deployments, to enforcing best-in-class encryption and access controls, to maintaining an active risk management and incident response program – makes it a trustworthy choice for organizations that cannot compromise on security. Every aspect of the platform, from development practices to daily operations, is guided by a commitment to protect customer data.

This means government contractors can focus on their core business (such as proposal writing, capture management, or contract administration) while GovDash handles the heavy lifting of cybersecurity and cloud compliance.

By choosing GovDash, organizations are not only adopting a powerful business tool, but also partnering with a provider that treats the security of their data with the utmost seriousness and care. This partnership enables contractors to innovate and work efficiently in the cloud, confident that GovDash has their back on security – now and as threats evolve in the future.

References

(1) AWS FedRAMP Guide

(2) AWS FedRAMP Guide

(3) Department of Defense Cloud Computing Security Requirements Guide

(4) Building a Scalable and Secure FedRAMP-Compliant Cloud Environment

(5) AWS GovCloud (US) Compared to Standard AWS Regions

(6) The AWS Shared Security Model: A Step Towards FedRAMP Compliance