Key Takeaways:
The IAL3 Hurdle: FedRAMP High compliance requires Identity Assurance Level 3 (IAL3) verification, a major logistical and financial challenge for most companies.
The Problem with Tradition: In-person proofing is expensive, slow, and doesn't scale for remote workforces, creating significant security risks and compliance bottlenecks.
The Remote Solution: Trust Swiftly provides the only hardware-based, remote IAL3 verification solution designed to meet NIST standards, save you money, and satisfy auditors.
Beyond Compliance: A proper IAL3 process does more than check a box—it actively protects your systems from sophisticated threats and secures your most privileged accounts.
The High-Stakes World of FedRAMP High Compliance
Selling to the U.S. government is a lucrative goal for any cloud or technology company. But achieving the necessary FedRAMP High authorization means meeting some of the most stringent security controls in the world. While the list of controls is extensive, one small requirement often becomes a huge bottleneck: Identity Assurance Level 3 (IAL3) verification.
Failing to implement a robust IAL3 process not only jeopardizes your compliance audit but also leaves a critical door open for unauthorized access. For companies with a distributed workforce, this single requirement can seem almost impossible to manage effectively.
What Exactly is IAL3 Verification?
Referenced in the Identity and Authentication (IA) controls, IAL3 is the highest level of identity assurance defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST SP 800-63-3). Think of it as the digital equivalent of showing up at a government office with multiple, verified forms of identification to prove you are unequivocally who you say you are.
This verification must be completed for every individual—from database administrators to DevOps engineers—who has privileged access to a FedRAMP High environment. Your Third-Party Assessment Organization (3PAO) will rigorously audit this process, and a weak solution can halt your entire certification effort.
The Problem: The Crippling Costs and Logistics of Traditional IAL3 Proofing
For years, the only way to achieve IAL3 was through supervised, in-person proofing. For any modern company, especially those with a remote-first culture, this model is fundamentally broken.
Draining Your Budget: Flying employees across the country, paying for hotels, and losing days of productivity for a 15-minute verification session is financially unsustainable.
Creating Logistical Nightmares: Do you have an office in every state where your privileged-access employees live? Coordinating these sessions for a distributed team is a full-time job in itself.
Failing to Scale: As your company grows and hires talent nationwide, the in-person model becomes an anchor, slowing down onboarding and preventing you from deploying talent where it's needed most.
Exposing You to Risk: Relying on fixed, in-office kiosks creates a single point of failure and doesn't account for the security risks of employees traveling with sensitive information.
The Solution: Trust Swiftly - Secure, Remote IAL3 Verification from Anywhere
Trust Swiftly eliminates the costs and complexities of IAL3 compliance. We provide the industry's only solution that supports true remote, high-assurance IAL3 proofing sessions through a unique combination of our secure hardware kit and powerful software platform.
How Our Remote IAL3 Process Works:
Ship: We mail our proprietary, tamper-evident hardware kit directly to your employee, wherever they are.
Verify: The employee completes a simple, guided 15-minute proofing session using the kit and our software, which captures and verifies their identity documents and biometrics to IAL3 standards.
Return & Report: The employee uses the included return label to send the kit back. You receive a comprehensive, auditable report that proves IAL3 compliance to your security team and 3PAO auditor.
Who Needs Remote IAL3 Verification?
Any individual with privileged access to a FedRAMP High environment requires IAL3 proofing, including:
Database Administrators
DevOps and System Admins
Security Engineers
Any user with root access
Beyond the Audit: Advanced Security for True Peace of Mind
Passing an audit is one thing; being truly secure is another. A robust IAL3 process is your first and best defense against sophisticated infiltration attempts.
Threat actors, including nation-states, are known to use social engineering to place imposters in privileged roles. Our system is designed to mitigate these risks:
Authenticator Binding: We ensure that the authenticator (like a YubiKey or biometric profile) is securely bound to the verified identity immediately after the IAL3 session, preventing stand-in fraud where one person is verified and another gains access.
Secure Re-provisioning: If an authenticator is lost or stolen, you can't risk a simple help desk reset. Our process can enforce a full IAL3 re-verification to ensure the person requesting a new key is the same person who was originally granted access.
Continuous Certification: It's a best practice to periodically recertify identities. Our scalable solution makes this easy, helping you detect insider threats or rogue employees long before they can cause damage.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is this process compliant with NIST and FedRAMP requirements?
Yes. Our solution is specifically designed to meet or exceed the requirements for IAL3 as outlined in NIST SP 800-63-3, which is the standard referenced by FedRAMP controls.How is this more secure than an employee flying to an office?
Our process uses a secure, closed-loop hardware kit and verifies identity documents against government databases in real-time. This is often more secure than relying on a human notary or office manager who may not be trained to spot sophisticated fake IDs.How does this save us money?
By eliminating the need for employee travel, hotels, and lost work days, our clients save thousands of dollars per employee while accelerating their compliance timeline.
Future-Proof Your FedRAMP Compliance with Trust Swiftly
Don't let IAL3 verification be the roadblock that delays your FedRAMP authorization and limits your company's growth. Traditional methods are no longer viable in a remote-first world.
Trust Swiftly provides a modern, secure, and scalable solution that delights your employees, satisfies your auditors, and strengthens your security posture against the most advanced threats.
Ready to Simplify Your FedRAMP Journey?
Stop wasting time and money on outdated verification methods. Let us show you how our remote IAL3 solution can accelerate your path to compliance.