Authority to Operate (ATO) is an official declaration by a designated government official that authorizes a system to process, store, or transmit information. This approval is granted after the system has undergone a rigorous security assessment and is found to meet all required federal security standards and risk management protocols. The ATO process ensures that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect sensitive data and that any residual risks are identified and accepted. ATOs are commonly required for federal information systems and are a critical component of compliance frameworks such as the Risk Management Framework (RMF) in the United States. Without an ATO, a system cannot legally operate within a federal environment.