This course examines the information security certification and accreditation principles leading to final Approval to Operate (ATO) an information system. The course examines roles, responsibilities, documentation, organizational structure, directives, and reporting requirements to support the Designated Accrediting Authority (DAA) in approving the security control functionality level of an information system and granting ATO at a specified level of trust. The course provides an overview of DOD and Federal department and agency certification and accreditation processes (e.g., Defense Information Assurance Certification and Accreditation Process; NIST Certification and Accreditation Process), information assurance acquisition management, and system security architecture considerations.