Getting an Authorization to Operate (ATO) can be a slow and expensive hurdle for developers trying to deploy software for the government. In this episode, Dave Raley, Digital Program Manager at Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS), explains how he’s revolutionizing this process with Operation StormBreaker. Instead of a months-long process, StormBreaker provides a pre-authorized DevSecOps platform that allows mission owners and contractors to deploy their code into production in as little as 15 minutes.
By shifting from a traditional “checklist” mindset to one of continuous risk assessment, StormBreaker focuses on the ultimate goal: securely and resiliently delivering mission-critical capabilities.
Key Takeaways
Stormbreaker is an alternative to an old checklist model. The traditional Risk Management Framework (RMF) acts like a static checklist. StormBreaker takes a more modern approach, one underscored in the recently-released Cybersecurity Risk Management Construct, and uses advanced tooling to continuously monitor the software’s actual risk posture at any given moment.
Focus on outcomes. The most important question isn’t “Did we complete the checklist?” but rather, “Did we get a secure and resilient workload into production?” Understand the pain point before trying to build a solution.
Contractors can’t get an ATO alone. A commercial company is always dependent on its government partner to secure an ATO.
Ask early, ask often. Software teams should ask their mission owners right away, “What’s the plan to get this into production?” That exposes roadblocks before time and money disappear.
About Dave Raley
Ever wonder how some leaders just get it when it comes to modernizing big organizations? Then you need to meet Dave Raley, who has been with the Marine Corps as a civilian since 2010. Dave is the Digital Program Manager at Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) and he totally transformed how Marines and their families get services.
But here’s the best part: he didn’t just manage change, he ignited it. Dave actually founded MCCS’s innovation capability and launched their whole customer experience (CX) strategy.
He pioneered something called Operation StormBreaker. Why? To cut down on software development headaches, save money, and get critical missions done faster. And get this: StormBreaker is gaining traction beyond MCCS, making secure cloud deployments scalable for services across national security.
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