From the Spring 2026 Issue

Stewards of Mission Risk: The Evolving Role of the Authorizing Officials (AO)

Bobbie Stempfley
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Dr. Ray A. Letteer, DSc
Former Director, Operations Risk Assessment, Office of the DoD Chief Information Officer Former CISO/Authorizing Official (AO) | United States Marine Corps

Henry J. Sienkiewicz
Faculty, Former CIO, DISA | Georgetown and George Washington Universities

Introduction
In a harsh misrepresentation, organizational Authorizing Officials (AO) are often thought of as an obstacle or simply a bureaucratic signature - a roadblock to progress.

Reality intrudes.

Reality should intrude.

The reality is that the AO is a mission-risk executive, a mission-risk executive responsible for ensuring the safety of critical systems in contested environments.[1]

For decades, authorization was believed to be based solely on static compliance within a hierarchical, asset-based environment. Artificial intelligence, globalized supply chains, continuous deployment, and sophisticated adversaries characterize today's environment. New standards are required. These . . .

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