Jane Edwards 
- Knox Systems and RapidFort expanded their partnership to accelerate FedRAMP compliance for SaaS vendors
- The offering provides bundled access to FIPS 140-3 curated container images and near-zero CVE infrastructure
- The 2026 Cyber Summit on Thursday will examine emerging cyberthreats, AI in cyber defense and more
Knox Systems and RapidFort have expanded their strategic partnership to help software-as-a-service vendors accelerate compliance with the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program by providing Knox subscribers with bundled access to Federal Information Processing Standards, or FIPS, 140-3 curated container images.
As agencies and industry accelerate efforts to strengthen cyber resilience and modernize secure cloud adoption, discussions around FedRAMP compliance and software supply chain security continue to take center stage across the GovCon sector. The Potomac Officers Club will host the 2026 Cyber Summit on Thursday, bringing together government and industry leaders to discuss emerging cyberthreats, the role of AI in cyber defense and modernization priorities shaping the federal landscape. Save your spot now!
How Will the Expanded Partnership Help Vendors Accelerate FedRAMP Compliance?
In a joint release published Tuesday, the companies said Knox’s platform enables vendors to inherit 60 percent to 80 percent of FedRAMP controls on day one and shorten authorization timelines to about 90 days without requiring agency sponsorship. The company added that RapidFort’s FIPS 140-3 curated images help reduce compliance work associated with container hardening, Security Technical Implementation Guide and Center for Internet Security benchmarks, and FIPS cryptographic validation requirements.
RapidFort’s near-zero common vulnerabilities and exposures, or CVE, container images are continuously maintained to help reduce attack surfaces as artificial intelligence-enabled cyberthreats evolve.
The companies also said the bundled model gives Knox subscribers access to FIPS and non-FIPS image variants across major operating system distributions through a single subscription without per-image licensing fees or source code changes.
What Did Knox & RapidFort CEOs Say About the Expanded Partnership?
Knox Systems CEO Irina Denisenko said FedRAMP 20x and White House Memorandum 26-12 reflect increased government adoption of commercial technology while maintaining security requirements.
“At Knox, we are answering the call by enabling SaaS companies to achieve ATO faster and more cost-effectively,” Denisenko said. “The addition of RapidFort’s FIPS images enables us to speed up the process even more while continuing to save valuable IT resources.”
RapidFort CEO Mehran Farimani said the companies are making the Knox-RapidFort combination the default offering for Knox customers.
“Every Knox customer automatically gets the most compliant and hardened container image foundation available anywhere – FIPS 140-3 validated, STIG- and CIS-benchmarked, and maintained at near-zero CVE,” Farimani said. “When AI is hunting for vulnerabilities faster than humans can patch them, a smaller attack surface is not a nice-to-have. It’s the only answer.”
How Does the Partnership Build on Knox’s FedRAMP & Funding Milestones?
The partnership expansion follows Knox’s recent FedRAMP High authorization for its AI-managed platform.
The announcement also comes after Knox raised $25 million in Series A funding to expand its managed cloud platform designed to help software providers accelerate FedRAMP authorization efforts.
