C&A

Certification and Accreditation is the process of evaluating, testing, and authorizing information systems to operate based on assessment against security requirements. C&A ensures systems meet applicable security standards before processing government data.

C&A has largely been replaced by the Risk Management Framework terminology, but the concept remains central to government IT security. Contractors must navigate C&A or RMF processes to obtain Authority to Operate for systems supporting government missions. Understanding security authorization requirements is essential for government IT contractors.