Build an ATO package the validator signs off on the first time
A 53-page guide plus the SSP template, 185 control implementation statements, artifact index and pre-submission checklist, written by a CISSP who validates ATO packages for a living. Every file follows one rule: every claim traces to evidence.
$79
Team of up to five? $249 team license
NIST SP 800-37 Rev 2 · NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5 · Word + Excel + PDF · No CUI · Free updates for life
Who this is for
The new ISSO inheriting a package
You were handed an eMASS record with 300 controls, half of them marked Compliant with no evidence attached. The kit shows you what a validator will reject and how to fix it control by control.
The ISSO with a reauthorization due
The ATO expires in months, the artifacts are stale, and the boundary diagram still shows a server that was decommissioned. The artifact index and checklist tell you exactly what to refresh and in what order.
The ISSM standardizing a team
Five ISSOs, five writing styles, five different ideas of what “implemented” means. Give the team one statement library, one checklist and one rejection list so packages read the same no matter who wrote them.
What is inside
| File | What it does | Size |
|---|---|---|
| The ISSO’s ATO Package Kit guide (PDF) | Every RMF step as it is executed in eMASS, with Validator’s View boxes, ten before/after implementation statement rewrites, the SAR and risk assessment explained, the AO brief, and the 30 rejection reasons with fixes. | 53 pages |
| System Security Plan Template (Word) | NIST SP 800-18 structure pre-written section by section, with a worked example system so you replace text instead of inventing it. | 36 pages |
| Control Implementation Statement Library (Excel) | Tailorable statements for the Moderate baseline, each with the evidence the assessor pulls and the common finding, plus an inheritance map and a status decision tree. | 185 statements |
| ATO Artifact Index (Excel) | Artifacts mapped to controls, eMASS location and freshness window, with validator questions by family, an upload log and a dashboard. | 69 artifacts |
| Package Pre-Submission Checklist (Excel) | The checks a validator runs before accepting a package, 25 rejection comments written the way validators write them, and a submit comment template. | 117 checks |
| Authorization Boundary Diagram Guide and Narrative Template (Word) | A 27-item validator checklist, the five rejection mistakes, a worked boundary and a sign-off form. | 27-item checklist |
| Risk Acceptance Memo Template (Word) | A blank memo plus a fully worked example, with the likelihood x impact table. | 2 versions |
| RMF Checklist v1.1 and POA&M Tracker v1.1 (Excel) | The two trackers sold separately on this site, included at no extra cost. | 2 workbooks |
How it is built
One rule runs through every file: every claim traces to evidence. A control marked Compliant without an artifact behind it is the first thing a validator flags. The kit is organized so that each statement, each artifact and each checklist item answers the question “what would I show the assessor?”
The four-part implementation statement. Each of the 185 statements follows the same structure: what the control requires, how this system does it, where the evidence lives, and who is responsible. The guide includes ten before/after rewrites so you can see weak statements turned into statements that pass.
A worked example system called SENTINEL. SENTINEL is a fictional unclassified IL4 system that appears in the SSP template, the boundary narrative, the risk acceptance memo and the guide, so you can follow one system from categorization to authorization and see what a complete package looks like.
What it is not
- No CUI. Every example is fictional and unclassified. Nothing in the kit came from a real package.
- No STIG content. The kit covers the RMF package, not technical configuration checklists. Use the DISA STIG library for that.
- Not a replacement for component guidance. Your service, agency or combatant command publishes its own RMF process and templates. The kit helps you meet them; it does not override them.
About the author
Babux is a CISSP who validates ATO packages for a living at a combatant command. Before that he was the lead ISSO who took an AI system through to ATO. The rejection reasons, validator questions and checklist items in this kit come from reading packages on the receiving end and from writing them on the submitting end. He also runs RMF Insider.
Frequently asked questions
Is it Rev 5?
Yes. The control statements and artifact mappings follow NIST SP 800-53 Rev 5, and the process follows NIST SP 800-37 Rev 2.
Can I use it on classified systems?
The structure applies. The worked examples describe an unclassified IL4 system, and the overlays and classification-specific requirements come from your component’s guidance.
Do I get updates?
Yes. Updates are free and appear in your Gumroad library.
Can my team share it?
The $79 kit is one license per person. For up to five people, the team license is $249.
What about refunds?
Gumroad’s standard refund policy applies.
One-time purchase · No subscription
$79
Guide, SSP template, 185 statements, artifact index, checklist, boundary guide, risk memo, trackers
Instant download after purchase · Free updates for life