Remember ATO
Full name: Authorization to Operate
Memory aid: Authority allows the system To Operate.
An ATO has scope, conditions, and ongoing obligations.
Study area: MIS, risk & continuity · Batch 6
Relevant study for: CompTIA Security+ SY0-701 · ISC2 CISSP 2024 outline · CompTIA SecurityX · ISC2 CC
Practice with exam flashcards →MIS, Risk & Continuity / Knowledge library
ATO — Authorization to Operate
Records an authorized decision to accept defined system risk for operation.
Why learn ATO — Authorization to Operate?
Records an authorized decision to accept defined system risk for operation.
Where it came from
An ATO has scope, conditions, and ongoing obligations.
- Memory aid (a learning cue, not the expansion): Authority allows the system To Operate.
Build your understanding
Work through these exercises in order. Try the task before opening a reference.
- Without looking, expand ATO: Authorization to Operate.
- Recall this memory aid: Authority allows the system To Operate.
- Explain the practical use: Records an authorized decision to accept defined system risk for operation.
- Explain this distinction: An ATO has scope, conditions, and ongoing obligations.
- Identify ATO in a device specification, architecture diagram, or system inventory.
Documentation and sources
- NIST cybersecurity glossary (csrc.nist.gov)