Why GovRAMP-authorized observability matters for state, local, and education IT teams

Building on our FedRAMP® Moderate authorization and our “In Process” status for FedRAMP High, Datadog for Government is now "In Process" for GovRAMP High Authorization, giving agencies a unified observability platform that meets the toughest public-sector security bars.

This status means that Datadog can help state, local, and education IT teams who need to meet stringent security standards, as well as other vendors who are also seeking to achieve and maintain compliance with the GovRAMP framework.

What is GovRAMP in plain terms?

GovRAMP is a shared security playbook that helps states, local governments, public schools, and higher education institutions evaluate cloud service providers (CSPs) using standardized criteria. Based on NIST 800-53 Rev. 5 controls, GovRAMP ensures that authorized vendors can help organizations:

• Protect sensitive data—such as health records or student information—from leaks and tampering
• Continuously monitor their environments and remediate vulnerabilities as part of ongoing compliance
• Prove their security posture through independent audits, reducing the need for redundant assessments across contracts

Choosing a GovRAMP-authorized CSP helps procurement teams simplify security assessments and accelerate digital service delivery. That’s because maintaining compliance and securing IT environments requires more than a one-time authorization—it demands continuous monitoring, remediation, and auditability over time. Platforms like Datadog that are In Process for GovRAMP High are designed to meet those expectations from day one.

Why observability matters for states, local governments, and education institutions (SLED)

For SLED IT teams, compliance is just the beginning. To deliver secure, reliable digital services, agencies also need real-time, end-to-end visibility across increasingly complex hybrid, multi-cloud, and edge environments.

With an observability platform authorized for use in GovRAMP High environments, SLED teams can:

• Improve government service delivery by quickly identifying and resolving system performance issues to prevent disruptions in public services
• Detect vulnerabilities and monitor security threats in systems subject to strict security controls
• Reduce operational costs by optimizing resource usage and minimizing downtime
• Use analytics to implement data-informed improvements to digital services and citizen engagement

Datadog’s GovRAMP High “In Process” status means SLED agencies can take advantage of full-stack observability in regulated environments, helping them move faster, stay secure, and deliver better outcomes for the communities they serve.

How observability transforms state IT operations: A Datadog use case

Consider a state transportation department modernizing its IT infrastructure to improve traffic management and real-time data analytics. The agency is effectively conducting a digital overhaul, moving its applications to a hybrid cloud environment that comprises a mix of on-premises servers, cloud-based applications, and IoT-enabled traffic sensors.

However, without a unified view of all these resources, performance data is siloed, forcing IT teams to chase symptoms instead of pinpointing root causes, risking outages that ripple across traffic signals, commuter apps, and emergency response systems.

With Datadog in place, this state agency can:

• Gain real-time, unified visibility into cloud, on-premises, and IoT environments, ensuring seamless data flow between traffic sensors and control systems
• Use AI-powered anomaly detection to identify and mitigate traffic system slowdowns before they disrupt public services
• Monitor system health and security posture continuously, in line with GovRAMP High standards
• Improve uptime and response times for critical services such as real-time traffic alerts and emergency response coordination

Get started with Datadog for Government

Datadog's unified observability supports every role across your stack.

Current Datadog customers can take advantage of the GovRAMP region today. New to Datadog? Contact our SLED Sales team at sled@datadoghq.com or start a 14-day free trial to see how unified observability accelerates secure digital services.