Riverbed wins FedRAMP Class D for US government platform

Riverbed has achieved FedRAMP Class D (High) Certification for its Riverbed Platform for Government, placing it among the first digital employee experience platforms to reach that level in the US federal market.

The designation covers Riverbed Aternity for Government and Riverbed NPM+ for Government, part of the company's cloud-delivered platform for federal agencies. FedRAMP Class D is the highest certification tier under the US government's cloud security authorisation programme for systems handling sensitive unclassified data.

The accreditation aligns Riverbed's government platform with strict US federal security controls, including standards tied to NIST, FIPS and Executive Order 14028. The platform is designed to give agencies visibility across endpoints, networks and applications in tightly controlled environments.

The move comes as public sector organisations continue shifting from on-premises systems to cloud-based software, increasing scrutiny of the security frameworks behind software services used in government operations and other regulated sectors.

One of the main commercial implications of the certification lies outside the US government market. Riverbed uses the same core software-as-a-service code base for federal and commercial customers, meaning private sector users draw on the same underlying security architecture and compliance processes developed for its government platform.

That could be relevant to Australian organisations moving critical services to the cloud, particularly in sectors where cyber risk, operational resilience and regulatory oversight are central concerns. While FedRAMP is a US framework, it is widely regarded as a demanding benchmark for cloud security controls.

Security benchmark

FedRAMP Class D is intended for cloud systems that manage some of the federal government's most sensitive unclassified information. For suppliers, reaching that level can help remove barriers to adoption among agencies that require high-assurance security standards before taking on third-party software.

Riverbed's platform for government is built to support IT modernisation and digital service delivery in federal environments. It also provides full-fidelity operational data and supports automated issue resolution across complex estates.

In practical terms, the platform combines tools for end-user experience monitoring and network performance management. Agencies can use it to bring together data from different parts of their infrastructure, reduce the number of separate tools in use and identify performance problems more quickly.

Riverbed also highlighted operational uses such as reducing mean time to repair, automating remediation workflows, improving software licence use and informing device refresh decisions. It said these functions can support stable digital services for government employees and citizens.

Commercial spillover

The certification may also strengthen Riverbed's position in the broader observability and workplace IT market, where customers are increasingly asking software suppliers to show evidence of mature security and compliance controls. For multinational vendors, a government-grade accreditation can become a differentiator in regulated commercial sectors including finance, healthcare and critical infrastructure.

Riverbed has framed the milestone as a sign that its cloud platform can meet some of the toughest security requirements in operation. That is likely to matter as organisations weigh not only product features but also the resilience and governance standards of the services they adopt.

Dave Donatelli, Chief Executive Officer at Riverbed, described the certification as a significant step for the business.

"Achieving FedRAMP Class D (High) Certification is a major milestone and reflects our deep commitment to delivering highly secure observability to federal agencies," Donatelli said.

He said the accreditation supports Riverbed's role in helping agencies monitor operations and respond to technical issues in secure environments.

"With this certification, Riverbed is delivering a platform trusted to meet the government's most rigorous cybersecurity requirements while helping mission-driven agencies gain the operational visibility needed to maintain performance, automate issue resolution, and support critical operations in environments requiring the highest levels of security," he said.

Riverbed said the federal designation comes as agencies continue to invest heavily in secure digital workplace technology, endpoint fleets and cyber tools, making certification decisions increasingly important in supplier selection.