Ingalls Information Security has won a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract to support the U.S. Air Force in their efforts to on-board innovative XR (Mixed Reality) technologies and manage the Authorization To Operate (ATO) requirements necessary to do so. This multi-year, Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) Phase III contract is being awarded for the enhancement and maintenance of a Cybersecurity Assurance Readiness (CSAR) tool developed by Ingalls.

CSAR will support the DoD’s mission to field systems at the “speed of innovation” while ensuring cybersecurity requirements are met. CSAR is improving the ATO process by:

  • Transforming AF Mandatory forms into easy, manageable sections presented in a logical and sequential format enabling speedy determination of categorization, baseline controls, and assessment path – answering once to eliminate duplication of questions.
  • Identifying baseline security controls (technical, operational, and management), building threat matrices, and informing risk while the application is being developed – building in security, not bolting it on.  
  • Reducing lead time for compliance by assessing applications with an agile, DevSecOps approach.
  • Providing a dashboard view for visibility of key cybersecurity controls assessed in the software factory pipeline combined with operational and management controls for supply chain risk management.
  • Offering a technology-enabled solution with expert “Human-in-the-Loop" support at key Checkpoints.

“CSAR will change the “snapshot in time” and paper drill compliance approach to a culture where automation and real-time continuous risk monitoring is tightly coupled with supply chain risk management and integrated software factories - which is what the DoD has been striving for,” says Brandi Pickett, Director of Government Programs.

Ingalls will enhance CSAR with capabilities that enhance visibility into the ATO status of any enrolled project, for both Authorizing Official staff and the Risk Management Team.

Ingalls is working closely with Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) Simulations Division Innovation Cell, Dynepic’s MOTAR Team, and stakeholders participating in the Lightweight Simulator Ecosystem (LSE). The collaboration is fostering a built-in, not bolted-on, cybersecurity attitude.

CSAR builds upon the Air Force (AF) Simulators Division’s Simulator Common Architecture Requirements and Standards (SCARS) umbrella initiative by establishing approved baselines, cybersecurity roadmaps, and policies needed for an increased focus on commonality and interoperability for all DoD training efforts. CSAR advances AF commitment for Continuous ATO state, Software Modernization Transformation, and active cyber monitoring.