Engineering-led cyber transformation

Engineering-led cyber transformation is grounded in deep technical rigor and practical engineering discipline. Rather than relying on high-level frameworks alone, this approach integrates cloud, data, identity, and automation engineering into the core of cyber modernization efforts. It ensures that cybersecurity isn’t a bolt-on activity—it's embedded directly into architectures, platforms, and operational workflows. By combining engineering best practices with mission-specific requirements, you can modernize without compromising resilience, performance, or compliance. 

An automated path to successful compliance 

Current federal processes for determining a system’s security risks are well understood and broadly accepted. But the process for obtaining an authorization, often referred to as authority to operate (ATO), lags behind the pace of modern technology. Authorization cycles can be costly, take over a year to complete, and divert subject matter expert attention from mission-critical work. 

Traditional ATO processes are often slow and paper-based. They rely heavily on the need to develop, approve, and maintain static documentation for manual audit team review. This approach creates delays that can burden agencies and vendors with significant administrative overhead. 

These inefficiencies can also hinder modernization efforts, drain resources, and provide a false sense of security risks. Because ATOs can be based on static documents or outdated screenshots, they don’t always accurately reflect the dynamic configurations of modern systems. Emerging programs like GSA’s FedRAMP 20x and DOW’s Software Fast Track Initiative provide blueprints for agencies to streamline and dramatically speed up the authorization process while providing more real-time visibility of system security postures. 

Efficiency through automation 

By pulling evidence automatically through existing APIs rather than relying on manual screenshots, automation can accelerate remediation, improve security posture visibility and the user experience, save more than 100 hours per month, and reduce ATO timelines by ~40%. Typical time savings include: 

• Asset management—Quick asset discovery saves 5+ hours/week 
• Vulnerability management—Automated processing saves 10+ hours/week 
• Configuration compliance—Auto‑reporting saves 5+ hours/week 
• Waiver and exception tracking—Automated workflows save 5+ hours/week 

 

Scaling modernization strategies 

A central component of an engineering-forward approach is its focus on fit-for-purpose innovation and modernization at scale. Before acquiring any additional tools, assess technologies already deployed in your environment to determine which ones can be used to collect real-time security data. To replace inconsistent, inefficient manual evidence collection, leverage native services and tools in your technology ecosystem through: 

• Policy as code: Improve consistency and accelerate compliance by defining, managing, and enforcing governance policies using machine-readable code (OCSAL) instead of traditional PDFs and Word documents. Automating configuration and compliance requirement checks helps you move from manual audits to continuous assurance. 
• Real-time security telemetry: Cloud platforms now offer robust, built-in telemetry sources. In AWS, native security services such as CloudTrail, CloudWatch, Config, and IAM provide increased visibility. In Azure, tools like Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Policy, Sentinel, and AD offer similar capabilities. 
• Correlated vulnerability and threat intelligence: You can integrate threat, vulnerability, and business impact data using Power BI and other tools already in your agency’s environment. Aligning insights with continuous threat exposure management processes lets you prioritize actions based on mission impact rather than individual common vulnerability and exposure scores. 

 

 

Collaboration for effective transformation 

Whether you’re designing zero trust architectures, automating compliance activities, or reducing tool sprawl, using engineering-led approaches can help advance your modernization efforts in a mission-aligned manner. The key is to adopt a model of shared ownership and partnership, where engineering-led transformation is not delivered to you—it’s delivered with you. 

Effective transformation is built collaboratively by engaging technical leads, program managers, security teams, and CIO organizations to ensure that modernization efforts align with mission priorities, user needs, and long-term sustainability. This model strengthens resilience across the enterprise and creates the conditions for ongoing innovation.