Zero Trust
Our cybersecurity engineers combine industry best practices and techniques with NIST, CISA, and DoD Zero Trust Architecture guidance to transform an organization’s information security approach from “moat and fence” to a more mature posture that constantly validates identity and permissions against individual assets. We recognize Zero Trust is not a tool or configuration. Rather, it is a collection of design principles, system practices, and implementation methods to constantly validate a user prior to action against an asset. For example, Dark Wolf built and deployed a Cloud Native Access Point (CNAP) for the United States Space Force (USSF) that acts as an identity provider, network access policy engine, and SIEM solution, bringing a true Zero Trust Architecture to the USSF.
RMF Compliance
The Risk Management Framework (RMF) documents the risk present on an Information System, allowing for data-driven, risk aware decisions. Dark Wolf follows a disciplined approach to work through each step in the RMF process, from system categorization through to continuous monitoring, staying prepared at each step. Our process is supported with tools and templates that accelerate ATO timelines, communicating progress at every juncture. Whether a system is cloud-based or traditional on-prem, a mature government platform or a technology startup new to Federal space, Dark Wolf drives the process to manage and produce RMF requirements for their products.
Mission-Ready ATO
Mission-ready ATO ensures the security and resilience of deployed systems at the speed of mission. Dark Wolf focuses on three primary techniques to deliver a safe, sound, and secure system with risk appropriate to the mission being enabled:
- Continuous ATO (cATO) applies NIST’s Supplemental Guidance on Ongoing Authorization, DoD’s cATO Evaluation Criteria and Enterprise DevSecOps Reference Design, along with our years of experience, to authorize software applications by inheriting host platform security authorizations. This methodology allows developers to focus on what they do best — develop mission software and capabilities for their customers — by leveraging enterprise capabilities, rather than spending time configuring and maintaining infrastructure for RMF compliance. Dark Wolf’s cATO methodology incorporates tools, training, and automations, along with our expert RMF Engineers, to bring modernization to software platforms within organizations such as the Department of the Air Force and Department of Veteran Affairs.
- Fast Track ATO reduces the time to ATO from months to weeks, focusing on technical control implementation and thorough penetration testing. To execute a Fast Track ATO, Dark Wolf establishes a Cybersecurity Baseline, performs a Risk Based Assessment, and engineers a Continuous Monitoring Strategy. Fast Track ATO lets Security Control Assessors and Authorizing Officials focus on demonstrated, practical operational cybersecurity rather than simply paperwork. Using this methodology, Dark Wolf has achieved Fast Track ATOs for the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security.
- AI-Enabled ATO leverages Dark Wolf AI Toolkits, such as our own GigaBruce, to streamline the ATO process by augmenting the skills of the ISSM, ISSOs, and technical experts — freeing them to focus on more challenging work. Our tools ensure the Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) environment that is built and deployed continually matches requirements, including unique environmental constraints, requirements, and guardrails specific to each organization.
