IntelliGRC is a governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) platform designed to streamline cybersecurity compliance across frameworks including CMMC, NIST 800-171, SOC 2, ISO 27001, and HIPAA. The platform serves managed service providers (MSPs), managed security service providers (MSSPs), and organizations looking to move beyond disconnected spreadsheets and tools into a single, continuously audit-ready system.

A significant portion of IntelliGRC’s customer base operates within the Defense Industrial Base (DIB), handling sensitive federal data under stringent CMMC and NIST 800-171 obligations. Recognizing the need to hold itself to the same standard it sets for its customers, IntelliGRC pursued FedRAMP Moderate Equivalency and entered the FedRAMP 20x Phase One Pilot, partnering with A-LIGN as its Third-Party Assessment Organization (3PAO).

The challenge

IntelliGRC did not face a contractual obligation to pursue any FedRAMP path. The platform does not store or process Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), and at the time of authorization, the company had no federal agency customers. The data IntelliGRC holds is more accurately categorized as Security Protection Data, which falls outside the traditional FedRAMP mandate.

The challenge, instead, was strategic and reputational. IntelliGRC’s customers in the DIB operate under some of the most rigorous data-handling obligations in the private sector. For IntelliGRC to credibly deliver compliance-as-a-service to those organizations, the company understood they had to demonstrate the same discipline and rigor it was asking its customers to achieve. Operating without a recognized cloud authorization was increasingly difficult to defend in enterprise and government-adjacent sales conversations.

When IntelliGRC evaluated the traditional FedRAMP Moderate authorization path, the documentation burden was significant. The team entered the process with direct experience handling NIST 800-53 and the conventional authorization workflow. The System Security Plan (SSP) alone runs hundreds of pages, requiring extensive narrative documentation cycles that do not always produce proportional improvements in security outcomes. The traditional process was inherently point-in-time which challenged IntellIiGRC’s internal philosophy of continuous, automated assurance.

“What sets A-LIGN apart is that they’re not just guiding us through FedRAMP 20x — they’re in it for the long haul with us. Their team understands the challenges firsthand, and that partnership has been invaluable as we worked toward authorization.“
– Ozzie Saeed, Founder

Why A-LIGN

When IntelliGRC identified FedRAMP 20x as the right path forward, selecting the right 3PAO was equally important. FedRAMP 20x is an emerging pilot program — new territory for assessors and cloud service providers alike — and IntelliGRC needed a partner capable of navigating the evolving standard without sacrificing assessment rigor or timeline.

As one of the top 3 FedRAMP assessors with decades of experience in traditional FedRAMP authorizations, A-LIGN brought exactly the combination IntelliGRC required: deep federal compliance expertise paired with the collaborative flexibility to work through a pilot program where guidance was still actively evolving.

Throughout the engagement, A-LIGN’s communication was consistent, and expectations were clearly set from the beginning. When the team reached inflection points where 20x Pilot documentation had not yet fully matured, A-LIGN responded with transparency and pragmatism. The A-LIGN team was able to problem-solve alongside IntelliGRC rather than defaulting to rigid interpretations that would have stalled progress.

That combination of proven federal compliance expertise and practical adaptability defined what IntelliGRC needed in their trusted 3PAO for a first-of-its-kind engagement.

“A-LIGN was exactly the kind of partner you’d want for this type of engagement. They brought the right mix of deep assessor experience and willingness to work through the ambiguity of FedRAMP 20x collaboratively, resulting in a successful engagement.”
– Jeremy Lyles, Functional Lead/CISO

Results

IntelliGRC successfully completed the FedRAMP 20x Phase One Pilot with A-LIGN, achieving a FedRAMP 20x Low authorization.

The IntelliGRC team found the contrast with traditional Moderate assessments was substantial. The 20x process shifted emphasis away from documentation-heavy SSP narratives toward automated control validation and continuous assurance. These factors in addition to working with A-LIGN’s professional team resulted in a significantly shortened audit timeline, saving IntelliGRC valuable time and resources.

The team also found authorization delivered an immediate business impact. In customer conversations — particularly with DIB organizations managing stringent compliance obligations — IntelliGRC can now point to a recognized cloud authorization that accelerates due diligence and reduces friction in enterprise evaluations. In a GRC software market where many vendors have not pursued any FedRAMP process, the 20x Low authorization is a meaningful differentiator.

Beyond the authorization itself, the 20x engagement validated the direction of IntelliGRC’s product roadmap. The pilot’s automation-first, continuous, machine-readable evidence model mirrors what IntelliGRC has been building for its own customers. The company now runs its own internal compliance program in the IntelliGRC platform, using their own automation capabilities for vulnerability management, POA&M tracking, and evidence collection.

Looking ahead, IntelliGRC plans to continue product investment in their Intelligent Control Library, expand evidence automation, broaden framework coverage, and grow multi-tenant capabilities for MSPs and MSSPs delivering compliance-as-a-service through the platform. The team also plans to maintain and deepen both their FedRAMP Moderate and 20x authorizations by working with A-LIGN as their trusted audit partner.

“What drew us to A-LIGN is how closely their approach aligns with where the future of compliance is heading. That shared vision, and the partnership we’ve built along the way, is why we trust them not just with FedRAMP 20x today, but as our audit partner for years to come.”
– Ozzie Saeed, Founder

About IntelliGRC

IntelliGRC delivers advanced governance, risk management, and compliance solutions tailored to simplify complex regulatory processes through automation and intelligent tools. With a focus on enabling secure, efficient, and compliant operational environments, IntelliGRC equips clients to confidently manage compliance requirements and make proactive, informed decisions. For more information, visit www.intelligrc.com.