Authorizing Official Responsibilities

BCD.

An Authorizing Official (AO) is a senior management official or executive who has the authority to formally approve the operation of an information system (IS) and to accept the risk to organizational operations, assets, individuals, other organizations, and the Nation. The AO is responsible for ensuring that an information system operates in a manner that meets the organization's security requirements and provides the necessary safeguards to protect organizational assets.

The responsibilities of an Authorizing Official may include the following:

A. Establishing and implementing the organization's continuous monitoring program: Continuous monitoring is a process that assesses and reports on the security posture of an information system in near-real-time. The AO is responsible for establishing and implementing a continuous monitoring program that provides ongoing assessment of security controls and risk management activities for the information system.

B. Determining the requirement of reauthorization and reauthorizing information systems when required: The AO is responsible for determining when an information system requires reauthorization and for reauthorizing the system when required. Reauthorization is the process of reevaluating the security posture of an information system to determine whether it still meets the organization's security requirements.

C. Reviewing security status reports and critical security documents: The AO is responsible for reviewing security status reports and critical security documents to ensure that the information system is operating in compliance with the organization's security requirements. The security status reports provide information about the status of security controls, vulnerabilities, and incidents related to the information system.

D. Ascertaining the security posture of the organization's information system: The AO is responsible for ascertaining the security posture of the organization's information system by conducting periodic assessments and reviewing security documentation. The security posture refers to the overall security status of the information system, including the effectiveness of security controls and risk management activities.

In summary, an Authorizing Official has a critical role in ensuring the security of an organization's information system. The responsibilities of an AO include establishing and implementing a continuous monitoring program, determining when reauthorization is required, reviewing security status reports and critical security documents, and ascertaining the security posture of the organization's information system.