In the world of federal cybersecurity, the only constant is change.
With the Department of War (DOW)’s recent announcement of the Cybersecurity Risk Management Construct (CSRMC), we are witnessing yet another paradigm shift—moving away from the static, documentation-centric Risk Management Framework (RMF) toward a dynamic, automated approach where authorization to operate is continuously validated rather than periodically renewed.
For many, a new acronym brings a sense of unease. It signals new mandates, new workflows, and the potential obsolescence of current tools.
This evolution, however, is what Xacta was built to accommodate.
A History of Adaptation: Longevity Meets Agility
Since its launch in 2000, Xacta has been the bedrock of federal cyber risk management. We stood with the DOW through the rigid checklists of DIACAP. We helped agencies pivot when RMF introduced a lifecycle approach to security. Now, as the DOW transitions to CSRMC, we are proving once again that true longevity comes from flexibility.
Unlike rigid point solutions that break when regulations change, Xacta was architected as a content-agnostic platform. This data-centric design, where security controls follow the information itself rather than the infrastructure hosting it, means that while the DOW changes how it measures risk, Xacta simply adapts the lens through which you view it.
How Xacta Aligns with the Phases of the CSRMC
The CSRMC framework organizes cybersecurity across five distinct phases—Design, Build, Test, Onboard, and Operations—each requiring specific capabilities that Xacta already delivers.
In the Design and Build phases, security must be embedded from the outset. This is where Xacta’s pioneering concept of Common Control Inheritance becomes critical. Rather than building security documentation from scratch for each new system, Xacta allows programs to inherit security controls from enterprise services like cloud hosting or verified baselines instantly. This eliminates redundant work and drastically reduces the workload for new systems entering the pipeline—exactly the efficiency CSRMC demands.
The Test and Onboard phases mark a shift away from static artifact generation toward automated validation and a streamlined path to Authorization to Operate. Xacta’s intelligent workflow automation and API-driven architecture allow for the automated ingestion of test results from scanners and other security tools. Documentation is transformed into data, allowing Authorizing Officials (AOs) to make risk-based decisions faster, without wading through PDFs.
In the Operations phase, CSRMC demands continuous monitoring to maintain authorization as a living status rather than a point-in-time approval. This is where Xacta truly excels: continuous monitoring is not a new feature for us; it’s our operational standard. Xacta users can create dashboards that track security posture against defined risk tolerance levels. When a vulnerability is discovered, users can easily create workflows to remediate, ensuring authorization remains current and valid.
Future-Proofing Your Mission
The launch of the CSRMC is a positive step toward “cybersecurity at the speed of relevance.” It acknowledges that our adversaries do not wait for a 3-year review cycle.
However, adopting a new construct shouldn’t mean ripping and replacing your risk management infrastructure. Because Xacta has supported the DOW’s journey for over two decades, it offers the unique ability to bridge the gap between the old and the new. Xacta allows you to maintain compliance with existing RMF standards while seamlessly migrating to the agile, automated demands of the CSRMC.
The acronyms will continue to change. The mission to maintain security and compliance remains constant. And Xacta will remain the flexible, trusted partner helping you achieve it.
