Source URL: https://anchore.com/case-studies/us-navy-achieves-ato-in-days-with-continuous-compliance-oss-risk-management/
Source: Anchore
Title: US Navy achieves ATO in days with continuous compliance & OSS risk management
Feedly Summary: The post US Navy achieves ATO in days with continuous compliance & OSS risk management appeared first on Anchore.
AI Summary and Description: Yes
Summary: The text describes PEO Digital’s DevSecOps platform, Black Pearl, designed to help US Navy programs rapidly build and deploy software while adhering to stringent security and compliance requirements. This case study highlights the challenges of achieving authority to operate (ATO), maintaining continuous compliance, and managing risks associated with open-source software, and it outlines the automated solutions provided by Anchore to overcome these hurdles.
Detailed Description:
The case study on PEO Digital’s DevSecOps Platform, Black Pearl, encompasses various crucial aspects in the realm of software security, DevSecOps practices, and compliance management within the US Navy’s software development initiatives. Below are the primary focal points of the text:
– **Platform Overview**:
– Black Pearl is a comprehensive DevSecOps platform tailored for rapid software development and adherence to government security standards.
– It comprises two offerings: Party Barge, a multi-tenant development environment, and Lighthouse, a resilient, production-grade platform.
– **Challenges**:
– **Achieving Authority to Operate (ATO)**: The platform must not only secure its own compliance but also facilitate ATO for applications built on it, all while meeting the stringent Department of Defense (DoD) DevSecOps references.
– **Continuous Compliance**: With the Navy and Marine Corps emphasizing continuous ATO compliance due to new directives, automating compliance processes becomes critical.
– **Open-Source Software Risk Management**: The increasing use of open-source components in applications poses security risks and compliance challenges that need to be proactively managed.
– **Vulnerability Overload**: Developers face a deluge of vulnerabilities, necessitating effective triage to maintain development velocity and meet compliance requirements.
– **Solutions Provided by Anchore**:
– **Security and Compliance Automation**: Anchore automates security scanning and compliance checks within Black Pearl, allowing users to meet the Risk Management Framework (RMF) security controls effectively.
– Policy packs are used to ensure adherence to specific security standards.
– Automated Authority to Operate (ATO) compliance is achieved with minimal manual intervention, significantly accelerating the compliance process.
– **Continuous Monitoring for OSS Risks**:
– Integration of a vulnerability scanner and policy enforcement mechanisms enables ongoing monitoring of open-source software vulnerabilities, facilitating timely detection and remediation.
– **Automated Vulnerability Prioritization**: The system automatically flags vulnerabilities that developers can address promptly, fostering a “shift-left” security approach that empowers developers to resolve compliance hurdles efficiently.
– **Results**:
– **Accelerated ATO Timeline**: Black Pearl enables users to achieve platform ATO in just 3-5 days, a drastic reduction compared to traditional timelines of up to six months.
– **Reduced Compliance Reporting Time**: Automation leads to significant time savings in the compliance reporting process, streamlining documentation and reducing manual errors.
– **Proactive OSS Risk Management**: By embedding security early in the software development lifecycle, Black Pearl allows for the early identification and remediation of vulnerabilities that could impede ATO.
– **Decreased Vulnerability Overload**: The prioritization of actionable vulnerabilities alleviates pressure on developers, ensuring they can focus on higher-value coding tasks instead of sorting through an overwhelming number of security alerts.
In conclusion, the Black Pearl platform exemplifies a robust approach to combining DevSecOps methodologies with stringent compliance and security management, particularly in highly regulated environments like the Department of Defense. The efficient use of automation, continuous monitoring, and proactive risk management reflect how technology can facilitate both rapid development and stringent security mandates in government software projects.