The U.S. Army plans to launch Project Gatekeeper this week. It’s an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled platform designed to speed adoption of commercial software by automating cybersecurity assessments and streamlining authorization requirements.
Army Acting Chief Information Officer Gabriele Chiulli announced the planned launch last week at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) annual meeting, an Army spokesperson told MeriTalk.
The initiative aims to reduce the time and technical work required to bring commercial software onto Defense Department networks without weakening cybersecurity requirements.
Project Gatekeeper will use AI-enabled tools and automated development, security, and operations (DevSecOps) pipelines to scan software code, identify vulnerabilities, and generate documentation supporting Authority to Operate (ATO) decisions.
Chiulli previously described Gatekeeper as a “completely commercialized DevSecOps platform,” allowing vendors to work through Army-managed security processes without relying on traditional government computing environments at every stage.
Under the proposed model, vendors would authenticate through Login.gov, provide their own application programming interface keys for commercial AI models, and use Army-developed tools to assess their software.
The platform would also help the Army evaluate software risks and improve visibility into software bills of materials, which identify the components and dependencies within applications.
While AI would automate much of the technical assessment process, government authorizing officials would retain final authority over software approvals and risk acceptance.
Chiulli also emphasized that vendors seeking to use Gatekeeper must first identify an Army customer with an operational need for their technology.
Potential sponsors include program offices, system owners, and operational units, he explained. The Army CIO’s office will not identify customers for vendors but can help companies navigate the security pipeline once a mission sponsor is secured.