At Bentek, we’ve spent over 20 years serving public sector employers. That includes cities, counties, school districts, and state agencies across the country. For two decades, hundreds of thousands of government employees have trusted us with their sensitive HR and benefits data.
We don’t take that trust lightly. When the question came up about whether to pursue GovRAMP membership, the answer was clear: this isn’t optional. This is who we are.
Security as a Strategic Investment, Not a Compliance Checkbox
We joined GovRAMP to reinforce our commitment to the cybersecurity expectations of our public sector clients. As stewards of sensitive employee data across hundreds of government organizations, we recognized that formalizing our security posture was essential. It wasn’t just about meeting procurement requirements. It was about scaling responsibly and building the long-term trust our clients deserve.
The threat environment made this decision easy to justify. According to a 2024 Deloitte-NASCIO study, 86% of state chief information security officers say their responsibilities are growing, yet more than one-third still lack a dedicated cybersecurity budget. Our clients are navigating real risk with limited resources. The least we can do is eliminate vendor security uncertainty as one of their concerns.
Our advice to any technology provider in this space: approach GovRAMP not as a one-time hurdle, but as a strategic investment. Invest in your infrastructure, your culture, and your credibility. The more you embed security principles into daily operations, the stronger your organization becomes across the board.
Why We Started Early
Bentek began our GovRAMP certification process before it became a widespread procurement requirement. That was a deliberate choice.
We understand how procurement cycles work in government. By the time a new requirement appears in an RFP, agencies have often been thinking about it for a year or more. Organizations that wait until GovRAMP is required will face a costly scramble. They may also find themselves unable to bid on contracts while they get up to speed.
GovRAMP itself now spans 33 or more states and 60 or more cities and political subdivisions, with participation growing 35% year over year. That trajectory makes one thing clear: the window for getting ahead of this requirement is closing.
By starting early, Bentek has been able to move through the process thoughtfully. We’ve aligned cross-functional teams across engineering, legal, and client success. We’ve invested in continuous training, built detailed documentation, and treated each step as a real security improvement rather than a paper exercise.
What We’ve Learned Along the Way
The GovRAMP journey has reinforced something we already believed: security isn’t confined to the IT team. It has to be understood and embraced across every department. When your engineers, legal team, HR staff, and client success team all share an understanding of what security means, your entire organization becomes more resilient.
We’ve also learned the value of detailed documentation from day one. A strong paper trail doesn’t just support your authorization. It builds organizational muscle memory that pays dividends with every future audit and every future client conversation.
What This Means for the Organizations We Work With
If you’re a government agency or school district evaluating HR and benefits technology, Bentek’s GovRAMP membership means:
- Independently verified security. You don’t have to take our word for it. A qualified third-party auditor has examined our security controls and confirmed they meet the NIST 800-53 standards GovRAMP requires.
- Faster procurement. GovRAMP membership accelerates procurement conversations. Agencies participating in the GovRAMP program can reference our verified status rather than conducting exhaustive individual assessments.
- Deeper trust. We’re engaged in an ongoing relationship with the GovRAMP ecosystem, monitoring emerging threats, participating in community forums, and continuously improving our security posture.
- A partner ahead of the curve. Bentek started this journey before it was required. That’s not just a compliance story. It’s a reflection of how we think about our responsibility to the public sector clients we serve.
Cybersecurity isn’t just a checklist. It’s a culture. At Bentek, it’s a culture we’ve been building for more than two decades.
Want to learn more about Bentek and GovRAMP? Let’s talk today.