Kristen Smith
Alex Whitworth, director of sales at Carahsoft, believes rethinking the authority to operate process and integrating automation are key to accelerating federal technology modernization, FedGov Today reported Friday.
Speaking at the recent ATO & Cloud Security Summit, Whitworth highlighted procurement challenges hindering the adoption of new technology, noting that ATO updates, automation and knowledgeable partners can help remove bureaucracy that slows down the purchase processes.
Integrating Automation in Approval Processes
The executive cited initiatives such as FedRAMP 20x and the Department of Defense’s Software Fast Track as examples of how automation and process reforms can shorten approval timelines for cloud services and software by months or years, without compromising security.
FedRAMP 20x, in particular, offers a faster pathway to achieving a FedRAMP ATO by automating portions of the review process and improving continuous monitoring, resulting in reduced time to market and more efficient routes to working in the federal space, the sales director said.
Whitworth noted that organizations’ efforts to accelerate the ATO process should be paired with partnerships with experienced advisers who can help them navigate interconnected frameworks and compliance requirements.
“There’s a certain amount of complexity because there are so many different pieces and parts and people involved,” he said. “But the level of common sense being introduced will help reduce that complexity.”
Looking ahead, Whitworth said commercial automation capabilities will play a key role in handling continuous monitoring and verifying compliance and security status of systems, allowing agencies to always be ATO-ready and able to adopt innovations faster.
