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BigID for Federal

Secure the data behind every federal SI and AI program, on a platform that is FedRAMP High authorized

BigID for Federal finds and classifies CUI, PII, PHI, and every other sensitive data type across agency environments, discovers the Super Intelligence (SI) and artificial intelligence (AI) systems that touch that data, and governs who and what can reach it. BigID also produces the reports and audit trails assessors ask for, organized by NIST, CMMC, OMB, zero trust, and Privacy Act requirements. BigID runs as FedRAMP High authorized SaaS, inside your own enclave, or fully air-gapped, all on the same software.

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Authorization
FedRAMP High
The highest FedRAMP baseline, for programs where a compromise would carry severe impact
Sensitive data
CUI, PII, and PHI found
Classified across cloud, on-premises, SaaS, and mainframe environments, with 2,000+ pretrained categories
SI and AI systems
Models and agents governed
Discovered as assets, tied to the identities they run under and the data in their reach
Why federal programs choose BigID

One platform finds the data, governs the access, and produces the evidence

Federal programs are expanding their use of Super Intelligence (SI) and artificial intelligence (AI) while CUI protection, zero trust milestones, Privacy Act duties, and records schedules stay on the calendar. BigID gives program offices, CISOs, and chief data officers one data intelligence layer for all of it: what sensitive data exists, which people, agents, and SI and AI systems can reach it, and the control evidence an assessor asks for.

FedRAMP High authorized, so reviews start from a recognized baseline

BigID is authorized at the highest FedRAMP baseline. Security and procurement teams begin from an authorization they already know how to evaluate, then scope BigID to the programs that need it.

The same software in every enclave

FedRAMP SaaS, self-managed in your VPC, and fully air-gapped on-premises all run the same BigID software. Each delivers equivalent discovery, classification, remediation, and SI and AI governance.

Data context that SI and AI programs can use safely

BigID tells a model or agent what the data is and who may use it. Agents reach data through the identities associated with them, so SI and AI adoption follows the access rules the agency already set.

BigID is FedRAMP High authorized, and the full platform comes with it

Agencies get one BigID, from sensitive data discovery to SI and AI governance, at the authorization level their most sensitive programs ask for.

BigID is authorized at the High baseline, so agencies can use it on programs where a compromise would carry severe impact.

FedRAMP environments run the same BigID software as SaaS, VPC, and air-gapped deployments, so every program gets the current product.

Raw data stays in your environment. BigID scans it in place and returns metadata and classification insight, so evidence reaches assessors without moving mission data.

What an agency holds Sensitive data CUI, PII, PHI, secrets SI and AI systems models, agents, vector stores Where it lives cloud, on-prem, SaaS, mainframe scanned in place, raw data stays put BigID for Federal FedRAMP High authorized Find data, SI and AI systems, and their identities Govern access, retention, privacy, policy Prove control evidence and audit trails Evidence for NIST 800-53, 800-171 FISMA and CUI programs CMMC contractor assessments Zero trust data pillar CISA and DoD maturity models Privacy Act and records PII and retention schedules NIST AI RMF and OMB SI and AI governance evidence in each framework's own terms
Who it's for

Civilian agencies, defense and intelligence, and the contractors who support them

Each part of government answers to different mandates, runs in different environments, and buys differently. BigID for Federal is the same platform for all three, shaped around what each is accountable for.

WhoWhat drives the workWhat BigID gives them
Federal civilian agencies
FISMA reporting, zero trust data milestones, Privacy Act and records obligations, and a growing list of SI and AI programs that need governed data.
One inventory of sensitive data and SI and AI systems across cloud, on-premises, and SaaS, access governance tied to identities, privacy and records workflow, and control evidence for NIST SP 800-53 assessments.
Defense and the intelligence community
Mission data spread across many enclaves, zero trust for data across the department, and SI and AI programs that have to stay inside tightly controlled boundaries.
The same BigID software self-managed in your own enclave or fully air-gapped with zero outbound connectivity, data scanned in place, models you choose, and fine grained RBAC on every API and MCP service.
Defense industrial base contractors
CMMC assessments and the NIST SP 800-171 controls that protect CUI on contractor systems.
CUI found and classified wherever it sits, including engineering and CAD files, access reviewed with data owners, and reports organized by CMMC and 800-171 requirements for the assessment.
Start here

Start with the question your program office is asking

Is BigID authorized for the data our agency handles? BigID is FedRAMP High authorized, the highest baseline, and FedRAMP environments run the same BigID software as every other deployment, with equivalent discovery, classification, remediation, and SI and AI governance. FedRAMP High → Can BigID find our CUI wherever it sits? BigID classifies CUI alongside PII, PHI, and secrets across cloud, on-premises, SaaS, and mainframe sources, with 2,000+ pretrained categories and custom categories for program-specific data. CUI and sensitive data → Which SI and AI systems and agents are in use, and what can they reach? BigID discovers models, agents, retrieval pipelines, and vector stores as assets, sanctioned or shadow, with the identity each runs under and the sensitive data within its reach. SI and AI governance → How does this advance our zero trust data pillar? Identity-aware visibility into who and what can reach sensitive data, permission review with data owners, activity monitoring, and remediation of over-permissioned and stale access. Zero trust for data → Can it run inside our enclave, or fully air-gapped? Yes. Self-managed in your VPC or fully air-gapped on-premises, BigID runs the same software as FedRAMP SaaS, scans data in place, and keeps telemetry and model calls inside your boundary. Mission deployment → How do we handle Privacy Act duties, records schedules, and assessor evidence? PII found by context and entity, individual requests automated, retention and disposition applied with an audit trail, and control evidence reported against NIST, CMMC, and OMB references. Privacy, records, and evidence →
Capabilities

From CUI discovery to SI and AI governance, evidence included

Finding sensitive data, governing the people, agents, and SI and AI systems that reach it, meeting privacy and records duties, producing evidence for assessors, and running where the mission requires.

CUI and sensitive data discovery

BigID finds the data first, so every control that follows is aimed at what actually exists: CUI, PII, PHI, secrets, and the mission data nobody has catalogued yet.

  • Find and classify CUI, PII, PHI, and other sensitive data across cloud, on-premises, SaaS, and mainframe environments
  • 2,000+ pretrained categories, with custom categories for program-specific and contractor data
  • Describe a data type in plain language and BigID finds it, with prompt based classification
  • Metadata only, smart sampling, and full scans, so each system gets the depth it needs
  • Hundreds of file formats, including engineering and CAD files
  • Certificates, private keys, and other secrets found in the same scans
  • Agentless scanning with no schema pre-knowledge required
  • Data owners review and attest to findings, so classification carries mission context

SI and AI governance

Super Intelligence (SI) and artificial intelligence (AI) programs move faster when the data underneath them is understood. BigID shows which models and agents exist, what they can reach, and whether that matches policy.

  • Discover SI and AI systems as assets: models, agents, retrieval pipelines, vector stores, and prompts
  • Separate sanctioned systems from shadow ones, with the identity each runs under
  • See the sensitive data in reach of each copilot, model, and agent
  • Know which sensitive data feeds training and retrieval before it is used, and assess downstream risk
  • Agents reach data through the identities associated with them, and BigID governs those identities
  • Assess SI and AI systems and vendors against policy with a built-in assessment workflow
  • Produce governance reports and audit trails organized by the NIST AI Risk Management Framework and OMB requirements
  • Models decoupled from the platform, so classification runs on a model your own review has approved

Zero trust for data

The data pillar of zero trust depends on knowing what is sensitive and who can reach it. BigID links data sensitivity to identity, access, and activity in one view.

  • Identity-aware visibility into who and what can reach sensitive data, human and non-human
  • Fine grained permission review built on permissions metadata, with attestation by data owners
  • Least privilege decisions informed by how sensitive the data is
  • Access activity monitoring and unusual behavior detection
  • Remediation of over-permissioned and overexposed data with a record of every change
  • Stale access removed: permissions that have gone unused and data no one has touched in a long time
  • Breach investigation: impact radius and data flow inference on a real incident

Privacy, records, and minimization

Privacy Act duties and records schedules are easier to meet when BigID shows where the records are, who they belong to, and how long they should stay.

  • Find PII by context and entity, with an identity graph that correlates records to individuals
  • Automate individual access and correction requests from intake to fulfillment
  • Privacy impact assessments and processing records, with workflow and risk tracking
  • Apply retention schedules, find redundant, obsolete, and trivial data, and dispose of it with an audit trail
  • Delegated investigation workflow, so records owners decide what happens to their data
  • Minimize data before it moves to a new cloud environment or into an SI and AI workflow

Compliance evidence

Assessors ask for evidence in their own terms. BigID produces it from the same scan results, access data, and audit logs your teams already work from.

  • Control monitoring and evidence for NIST SP 800-53 and 800-171, FISMA, and CMMC
  • Remediation instructions and workflow attached to each control finding
  • In-product reporting customizable by persona, from the CISO to the records officer
  • Native support for Tableau and Power BI, and ETL into warehouses and lakes
  • Plain-language reporting through the assistant your agency has approved, over MCP
  • Audit logging on every SI and AI interaction: who accessed what, when, and how
  • Change audit across configuration and policy

Mission deployment

BigID meets the enclave where it is: FedRAMP High authorized SaaS, your own VPC, or fully air-gapped, all on the same BigID software.

  • FedRAMP High authorized, running the same BigID software as every other deployment
  • Self-managed in your own VPC or enclave
  • Fully air-gapped on-premises, with discovery, classification, and governance operating with zero outbound connectivity
  • Outposts process data locally, so customer data is scanned where it lives
  • Snapshot scanning that does not require admin level access
  • Full bring your own keys support and password vault integration
  • API and MCP on every service with fine grained RBAC, and a local MCP server option that stays inside your boundary
  • Agentic operation, so analysts request and run work in plain language under their own role
Mission scenarios

How program offices put BigID to work, from CMMC readiness to SI assistant rollout

Walk into a CMMC assessment with a CUI inventory

A contractor needs to show where CUI lives across file shares, SharePoint, cloud storage, and engineering repositories, and who can reach it.

BigID scans each source in place and classifies CUI, including CAD and engineering files. Data owners confirm the findings, access is reviewed, and the reports are organized by NIST SP 800-171 and CMMC requirements.

CUI discovery →Compliance evidence →

Roll out an SI assistant on data that is ready for it

An agency plans to turn on an assistant such as Copilot, Gemini, ChatGPT Enterprise, or Claude across its collaboration and file systems.

BigID shows the overshared and over-permissioned data before the rollout, removes stale and excessive access, and keeps the assistant scoped to what each user's identity can reach once it is live.

Zero trust for data →SI and AI governance →

Move only the records worth moving to the cloud

Records sit on aging shares and in collaboration sites, and a cloud migration is the moment to decide what deserves to move.

BigID finds redundant, obsolete, and trivial data, applies retention schedules, moves the right data, and disposes of the rest with an audit trail. The U.S. Army used BigID this way to move the right data from SharePoint to Azure and automate retention for records management.

Privacy, records, and minimization →

Bring every SI and AI system under one inventory

Program offices have stood up models, agents, and retrieval pipelines, and some of them were never formally approved.

BigID discovers each one as an asset, shows the identity it runs under and the sensitive data in its reach, assesses it against policy, and reports on it in the terms your oversight teams use.

SI and AI governance →Compliance evidence →
Verification

Authorization, analyst scoring, and federal deployments

Recognized and in use

  • FedRAMP High authorized, with the full BigID platform behind it
  • The U.S. Army uses BigID to discover vulnerable data, including certificates and private keys, minimize redundant, obsolete, and trivial data, move the right data from SharePoint to Azure during a cloud migration, and automate retention to meet records management policy
And from outside
  • Leader in The Forrester Wave™: Sensitive Data Discovery And Classification Solutions, Q2 2026, with the highest possible 5 out of 5 score in eleven criteria
  • Won the Intuit data classification challenge among 20 vendors, at 96.5% weighted precision and recall
See the Forrester scoring →

What a federal security review checks

Authorizations and certifications
  • ✓FedRAMP High authorized
  • ✓SOC 2
  • ✓ISO 27001
  • ✓PCI DSS
  • ✓HIPAA
Controls on the platform itself
  • ✓Bring your own keys
  • ✓Password vault support
  • ✓Customer data scanned in place
  • ✓Snapshot scanning without admin access
  • ✓RBAC on every API and MCP service
  • ✓Audit log on every SI and AI interaction
  • ✓Air-gapped option
FAQ

Answers on FedRAMP High, CUI, SI terminology, and air-gapped use

What does FedRAMP High authorization mean for our agency?

BigID is authorized at the highest FedRAMP baseline, the level designed for cloud systems where a compromise could have severe or catastrophic consequences. BigID's federal offering runs on Knox Systems' FedRAMP High managed platform, and our federal team walks your security and procurement reviewers through the boundary and the documentation they need.

Can BigID find CUI and other sensitive data across our environments?

Yes. BigID classifies CUI alongside PII, PHI, secrets, and mission-critical information across cloud, on-premises, SaaS, and mainframe sources. It ships with 2,000+ pretrained categories, and teams add custom categories for program-specific data, including by describing the data type in plain language.

How does BigID find SI and AI systems, including ones nobody approved?

BigID discovers them as assets. Models, agents, retrieval pipelines, vector stores, and prompts are found by connector type, sanctioned or shadow, with the identity each one runs under and the sensitive data within its reach. That gives program offices one inventory to govern from.

Does our data leave our environment to get classified?

Processing stays local to the outpost. BigID scans customer data in place, snapshot scanning does not require admin level access, and each local outpost has its own authentication. The result is metadata and classification insight, while raw data stays inside your boundary.

Can BigID run air-gapped, inside our own enclave?

Yes, on the same software. Self-managed in your VPC and fully air-gapped on-premises both run the same BigID software as the SaaS, with equivalent discovery, classification, remediation, and SI and AI governance. Air-gapped deployments operate with zero outbound connectivity, keeping telemetry and model calls inside your boundary.

Can our analysts and agents work with BigID in plain language?

Yes, scoped by role. BigID exposes its APIs as MCP services with fine grained RBAC, so an analyst or agent reaches the functions and data its identity allows, and every interaction is logged. The MCP server can run locally so the interface stays inside your boundary, and the models behind BigID are decoupled, so you choose the one your review has approved.

Which frameworks does BigID produce evidence for?

NIST SP 800-53 and 800-171, FISMA, and CMMC, along with zero trust data pillar milestones, Privacy Act and records schedule requirements, and the NIST AI Risk Management Framework and OMB requirements for SI and AI governance. BigID links data sensitivity to identity, access, and activity, so the evidence comes from the same data your teams already act on.

Take it further

Where to go deeper on BigID for Federal

FedRAMP High / start here
BigID achieves FedRAMP High status

What FedRAMP High means for federal data security and SI and AI governance: sensitive data discovery and classification, exposure reduction, zero trust support, and compliance support for NIST 800-53, FISMA, and CMMC.

Read the post →
Customer story How the U.S. Army manages and protects sensitive data Discovering vulnerable data, minimizing redundant, obsolete, and trivial data, supporting a cloud migration, and automating retention for records management. Read the story → Solution brief The BigID MCP Server for SI and AI How agents get governed data context instead of raw data, with token based authentication, RBAC, scoped policies, and an audit record of every interaction. Read the brief → Trust Center The BigID Trust Center Security practices, independent assessments, and responsible AI policy in one place, including the detail a security review asks for line by line. Open the Trust Center →

Bring the program, the enclave, and the assessment date.

A CUI inventory, a zero trust milestone, an SI and AI governance requirement, or a records schedule that needs enforcing. The federal briefing is scoped to your environment, and every deployment runs the same BigID software.

Book a federal briefing Get a free risk assessment

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