In June 2012, Government Computer News reported that GSA hoped to have three cloud service providers approved for provisional authorizations to operate by the end of 2012. Batting .333 towards achievement of this goal, the General Services Administration announced on December 27, 2012 the first Joint Authorization Board (JAB) approval of a provisional cloud security authorization under the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP).  This first authorization is the first significant milestone towards streamlining federal security authorization for cloud service providers. FedRAMP is managed by GSA using a framework that has been co-developed by government cloud and cybersecurity experts, federal CIOs and private industry.  The provisional authorization issued to vendors by the JAB will provide agencies seeking cloud services with information necessary to determine whether these vendors meet their specific security needs and requirements. While not quite meeting its goal of three provisional authorizations by the end of 2012, GSA expects to issue additional provisional authorizations to other cloud service providers in 2013.  For more information about federal cloud computing, check out Citizens Against Government Waste’s most recent report:  the 2012 Federal Cloud Review.