The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) recently announced the launch of the ‘Accelerating Secure Software’ initiative, marking the start of a 90-day sprint to develop the Software Fast Track (SWFT) framework and implementation plan. 

Announced by acting DoD Chief Information Officer Katie Arrington, the effort aims to modernize how the Department acquires, develops, and deploys secure software by adopting proven best practices. 

The SWFT Initiative will establish well-defined cybersecurity and Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM) requirements, implement robust software security verification protocols, enable secure information sharing and streamline federal risk assessments to accelerate cybersecurity authorizations and support rapid software adoption.

“Current systems for software procurement were developed for a different environment and using processes that are outdated and slow, with little to no supply chain visibility,” DoD said in a press release.

The department also issued three Requests for Information (RFIs) to gather insights on market capabilities that can accelerate the secure delivery of software to the federal government. 

This marks a key step in overhauling how the U.S. government verifies software security and supports risk-informed decisions when deploying new technologies within the DoD—laying the groundwork for revitalizing national defense capabilities.