Author: Dr. Ray A. Letteer, DSc

Dr. Ray A. Letteer, DScDr. Ray A. Letteer, former Director of Operations Risk Assessment at the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Office of the Chief Information Officer and as the head of U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) Cybersecurity, has over 40 years of extensive experience in information system security, information assurance, and cybersecurity. Recognized as one of the most experienced cybersecurity leaders in the DoD, he was assigned the role of the appointed Approving Official (AO) for all Marine Corps Enterprise Network (MCEN) networks and systems.

Federal System Owner in the Age of Continuous Authorization
From the Summer 2026 Issue

The Federal System Owner in the Age of Continuous Authorization

Author(s):

Bobbie Stempfley, Vice President, Dell Technologies, Former CIO Defense Information Systems Agency, Dell Technologies

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, Adjunct Faculty, Former CIO, DISA, Georgetown and George Washington Universities

Introduction: When Ownership No Longer Means Control Federal system ownership is undergoing a quiet but consequential transformation (National Institute of Standards and Technology [NIST], 2018; Office of Management and Budget [OMB], 2016). For decades, system … Read more

From the Spring 2026 Issue

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

Author(s):

Bobbie Stempfley, Vice President, Dell Technologies, Former CIO Defense Information Systems Agency, Dell Technologies

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, Adjunct 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 … Read more

From the Winter 2026 Issue

The ATO Bottleneck: Rethinking Responsibility and Enabling Automation

Author(s):

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, Adjunct Faculty, Former CIO, DISA, Georgetown and George Washington Universities

The pace of the Authorization to Operate (ATO) process has long been a source of frustration and lost productivity. Technology can only make a difference if it is deployed. Yet, the pace is rarely the … Read more