Continuous Authorization to Operate (cATO) Services

Traditional authorization processes treat security as point-in-time assessments conducted every 3 years with limited interim oversight.

Between authorizations, systems drift from assessed configurations, controls degrade, new vulnerabilities emerge, and risk posture changes significantly.

Continuous Authorization to Operate transforms episodic assessment into ongoing assurance through automated monitoring, frequent control testing, and real-time risk visibility.

cATO reduces authorization burden while improving security outcomes.

Rather than massive assessment efforts every three years, cATO distributes assessment activities continuously enabling faster remediation and current risk awareness.

Organizations achieve faster authorization updates, reduced assessment costs, improved security posture, and enhanced stakeholder confidence.

Effective cATO requires integrated tooling aggregating security data from multiple sources.

Our cATO architecture integrates vulnerability scanners, configuration management databases, security information and event management systems, cloud security posture management tools, and compliance assessment platforms.

Data aggregation engines normalize information from disparate sources enabling unified analysis.

Assessment automation engines execute control tests interpreting results against defined criteria.

Reporting systems generate real-time dashboards and formal compliance reports.

We design cATO architectures leveraging cloud-native services, open-source tools, and government off-the-shelf products.

Our architecture approach emphasizes automation reducing manual data collection while maintaining human oversight for contextual decisions.

cATO shifts from annual control testing to continuous assessment maintaining current understanding of control effectiveness.

We establish assessment frequencies for each control balancing assurance needs with operational impact.

High-risk controls supporting critical security objectives receive daily or weekly assessment.

Medium-risk controls undergo monthly testing.

Low-risk controls are assessed quarterly.

Assessment automation executes tests without manual intervention - configuration compliance checks query configuration databases, vulnerability assessments analyze scan results, access control tests evaluate permission configurations.

Manual assessments are scheduled in advance with evidence collection procedures.

Our assessment approach generates continuous stream of control status updates informing risk decisions.

cATO provides real-time visibility into system risk posture enabling faster response to emerging threats.

We implement risk dashboards aggregating control assessment results, vulnerability data, and threat intelligence.

Risk scoring algorithms translate technical findings into business-relevant risk metrics.

Alerting systems notify stakeholders when risk exceeds acceptable thresholds.

Our risk monitoring integrates threat intelligence feeds contextualizing vulnerabilities based on active exploit campaigns.

Risk trending analysis identifies degrading controls before complete failures.

Real-time monitoring enables proactive risk management rather than reactive remediation after authorization lapses.

System changes introduce new risks potentially invalidating authorization status.

cATO integrates with change management processes ensuring security impact analysis before implementation.

We establish change categories defining assessment requirements - routine changes may require automated testing while significant changes demand human review.

Configuration management integration detects unauthorized changes indicating control failures.

Our change assessment automation evaluates proposed changes against authorization boundaries, control implementations, and approved configurations.

Changes affecting authorization require formal security impact analysis and potentially authorization modification.

Change integration maintains authorization validity as systems evolve operationally.

Traditional authorization requires extensive manual evidence collection creating assessment bottlenecks.

cATO automates evidence gathering eliminating manual effort while improving currency.

We configure security tools to continuously export compliance evidence into centralized repositories.

Evidence management systems organize artifacts by control, timestamp, and system component.

Automated validation ensures evidence completeness and accuracy before inclusion in assessment packages.

Our evidence frameworks maintain chain of custody demonstrating integrity for audit purposes.

Evidence automation enables assessors to focus on analysis rather than data collection while providing authorizing officials with current information supporting authorization decisions.

Plans of Action and Milestones document known deficiencies and remediation plans.

cATO maintains living POA&Ms automatically updated as findings are discovered or remediated.

We integrate vulnerability management tools with POA&M systems creating automated workflows - new vulnerabilities generate draft POA&M items, remediation activities update status, and validation testing confirms closure.

Our POA&M frameworks establish response timeframes based on severity - critical findings require remediation within 30 days while low severity items may have 180-day timelines.

POA&M analytics identify remediation trends, aging items requiring escalation, and resource constraints impeding progress.

Effective POA&M management demonstrates commitment to continuous improvement valued in authorization decisions.

cATO changes authorization from episodic decisions to ongoing governance.

We establish Authorizing Official (AO) engagement models providing regular risk updates without overwhelming senior leaders.

Monthly executive dashboards summarize overall risk posture, significant changes, assessment results, and emerging issues.

Quarterly reviews provide deeper analysis including trend analysis, program effectiveness, and strategic recommendations.

Annual authorization decisions evaluate whether accumulated changes warrant formal reauthorization or authorization continuation.

Our AO engagement ensures appropriate oversight without micromanagement.

We prepare briefing materials translating technical findings into business context supporting informed risk decisions.

Effective AO engagement builds confidence enabling authorization maintenance through continuous assurance.