US Army launches Project Gatekeeper to accelerate commercial software adoption, streamline cybersecurity accreditation

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army Office of the Chief Information Officer launched Project Gatekeeper on Oct. 23, a DevSecOps platform and security evaluation… WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army's Office of the Chief Information Officer launched Project Gatekeeper on Oct. 23, a DevSecOps platform and security evaluation sandbox designed to transform how the service tests, accredits and deploys commercial software. Project Gatekeeper, which comes online this afternoon, draws its authorization framework from the Army’s DevSecOps Platform, which provides a dedicated commercial-facing relay into the Army’s non-classified internet protocol router network ecosystem. The platform serves as a prescreening software assurance capability that enables commercial developers to submit code and containerized applications into isolated testing environments, providing automated security feedback and risk assessments in near-real time.

“The concept behind Project Gatekeeper is to set industry up for success to engage with the Army rapidly and securely,” said Gabe Chiulli, acting Army chief information officer. “Historically, companies had to navigate disparate, ad-hoc mechanisms simply to get their code evaluated. Project Gatekeeper replaces operational bottlenecks with an automated, commercial-friendly intake pipeline that cuts evaluation cycles from months down to minutes while safeguarding our network perimeter.” For years, commercial software providers – particularly non-traditional defense vendors and small technology startups – faced significant friction when navigating the Army’s cybersecurity accreditation process. Obtaining an authority to operate,