How to fast track your ATO process

Moving systems and programs to the cloud means you can implement changes quickly. However, unfortunately preparing your system for the Authorization to Operate (ATO) process often prevents a timely launch to production. Having your systems ready to go but not yet in production can lead to significant losses in productivity and delay potential cost savings.

Instead, smart agencies will modify their assessment and authorization process and use existing technology to fast track up the ATO process. Here’s how:

Automate your ATO process. Software solutions such as Stave’s Cyber s ecurity Manager delivers modern, web-based capabilities to automate the NIST SP 800-37 process and accelerate compliance, define remediation workflows, and provide real-time tracking, insight, and reporting.
Automate RMF documentation. Organizations can follow an easy-to-use, guided setup process to record and document Risk Management Framework (RMF) articles such as System Security Plans (SSP).
Implement continuous monitoring. Continuously monitor your information systems and protect yourself with the latest real-time vulnerabilities from IAVA and IAVB reports from U.S. Cyber Command.
Maximize the ROI on your security tools. Federal agencies spend millions of dollars on various security tools to monitor, track, and react to threats and vulnerabilities. However, with more security tools comes more security logs and events, which increases the amount of work that’s needed to sift through all of the information and further obscures the differences between real threats and false positives. CyberSecurity Manager automates this process and integrates your security tools so you can have accurate visibility into your agency’s security posture and position yourself to quickly eliminate security threats and attacks.
Transparency is key. All parties (developers, operations, security, and senior officials) should be able to see the information they need, when they need it. Required steps should also be laid out in clear, concise language so there is no confusion on what each person’s role is.
Make it actionable. All parties should be able to take necessary action based on the information available. Senior officials should be empowered to make informed risk decisions.

Innovative firms working in the federal market — such as Cask— can work with your agency to make your processes more secure, more effective at delivering services, and more efficient. Contact us to find out how we can help your organization complete the entire assessment and authorization process in hours instead of months.

At Cask, we know how to streamline business.

We understand that the world moves fast, but information moves faster. You need data in a hurry, and company-wide automation is the answer. If your business can’t keep pace, we can guide you through a strategic transformation to optimize your operational efficiency.

That’s why we are proud to partner with ServiceNow to provide the solutions to move from manual tasks and paper deliverables to digital applications for managing your business.