Initiatives

System Assurance Working Group

On December 23, 2004, the Department of Defense (DoD) established a Software Assurance Tiger Team to create a strategy to mitigate software assurance-related risks. On May 2, 2005, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (USD(AT&L)) and the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Networks and Information Integration (ASD(NII)) approved the strategy, emphasized the need for partnership with industry in this endeavor, and tasked the Software Assurance Working Group with moving forward with the strategy. During 2006, the scope of the Software Assurance Working Group was broadened to system assurance from software assurance and was subsequently renamed to the System Assurance Working Group (SAWG).

The SAWG consists of acquisition representatives who are working to support the development and promulgation of system assurance policy and guidance incorporating the lessons learned from the approved DoD Software Assurance Strategy. It operates under the auspices of Systems and Software Engineering (SSE). The SAWG is chaired by AT&L(SSE) with at least one and not more than two representatives from the Services, NII, National Security Agency (NSA), National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and the Joint Staff.

Current SAWG activities include implementing a lifecycle approach for System Assurance consisting of policy and guidance:

• Requirements: Leveraging Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Instruction (CJCSI) 6212 and Joint Publications to help define and prioritize assurance requirements for systems
• Acquisition and Contracting: Intelligence and awareness of supplier control and ownership prior to source selection
• Development: Guidebook on Engineering for System Assurance
• Oversight and Compliance: Policy and regulatory oversight for Program Protection.

System Assurance Guidebook
The Department of Defense and the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) System Assurance Committee announce availability of the latest NDIA system assurance guidebook: Engineering for System Assurance, Version 1.0. This update reflects a six month iterative editorial effort dedicated to listening to the community, gathering and responding to the 1,479 thoughtful and substantive inputs received. For additional information about the System Assurance Initiative, visit the NDIA SA Committee website.