The format for your week 3 discussion is a Talking Points Paper. Talking points help decision-makers/leaders/managers make decisions. Decision-makers use talking points instead of (or in addition to) reading lengthy reports because the talking points only include the pertinent facts and/or the bottom line – meaning each talking point stands alone in the context of the paper topic.

Prepare a set of talking points (3 to 5 paragraphs or 5 categories / 20-25 bullet points total) that address the following information request:

How does FedRAMP help agencies ensure the security of digital government services?

Your talking points must address the following:

What is meant by “Digital Government services?” (previously called “e-Government” services)
FedRAMP (what it is, how agencies use FedRAMP to deliver Digital Services, and how FedRAMP contributes to improved security for Digital Services)
Additional strategies for improving privacy and security (Play #11) from the Federal CIO Council’s Digital Services Playbook (“Manage security and privacy through reusable processes”) — make sure that you address the “Checklist” and “Key Questions”
Provide in-text citations and references for 3 or more authoritative sources. Put the reference list at the end of your posting.

Note: this assignment asks for paragraphs (including full sentences), not short phrases. Thus, each talking point should have at least one full sentence. You may use Bullets or Number to identify each distinct talking point. In most cases, each of your talking points will be multiple sentences to ensure you explain the point.

The below rubric is what is asked to be followed during the completion of the paper:

Introduction or Overview of Digital Government

Provided an excellent introduction or overview of digital government which provided definitions and addressed the laws, regulations, and policies which require that federal agencies provide information and services via the Web. The overview appropriately used information from 3 or more authoritative sources.

Review of Digital Government Websites

Provided an excellent overview of the information and services provided by three or more digital government Websites. Provided full, complete, and concise answers to the following questions:
a. What types of information or services are available via the selected Websites?
b. What populations do these Websites serve (who is the intended audience)?
c. What sensitivity level should be assigned to each of the Websites (use FIPS 199 criteria)?
d. What security issues were observed during the review?
Appropriately used information from 3 or more authoritative sources.

Web Application Architectures and Security Issues

Provided an excellent discussion of Web application architectures and common / frequent security issues inherent in the use of Web applications in the context of digital government Websites. Discussion included 5 or more examples of security issues and addressed how these issues contribute to increased risk. Appropriately used information from 3 or more authoritative sources.

Best Practices and Recommendations for Ensuring Security of Digital Government Websites

Provided an excellent discussion of best practices for ensuring Web application security during the design, implementation, and operation of digital government websites. Included 5 or more best practices (with recommendations) which could be implemented to improve the security of digital government websites. Appropriately used information from 3 or more authoritative sources including NIST’s Cybersecurity Framework and NIST SP 800-53.

Summary of Research and Recommendations

Provided an excellent summary of the research and recommendations for this deliverable. Summary was clear, concise, and accurate. Appropriately used information from authoritative sources.

Addressed security issues using standard cybersecurity terminology

Demonstrated excellence in the use of standard cybersecurity terminology to support discussion of security issues. Appropriately used 5 or more standard terms.

Professionalism Part 1: Consistent Use and Formatting for Citations and Reference List

Work contains a reference list containing entries for all cited resources. Sufficient information is provided to allow a reader to find and retrieve the cited sources. Reference list entries and in-text citations are consistently and correctly formatted using an appropriate citation style (APA, MLA, etc.).

Professionalism Part 2: Organization & Appearance

Submitted work shows outstanding organization and the use of color, fonts, titles, headings and sub-headings, etc. is appropriate to the assignment type.

Professionalism Part 3: Execution

No formatting, grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors.