To keep mission-critical applications and warfighters secure, Application Owners (AOs) need a real-time assessment of software security and compliance. However, relying on process-based or point-in-time assessments leaves vulnerabilities. A systems-wide approach to software supply chain security and continuous Authorization to Operate (ATO) is necessary. This approach, based on an approved reference architecture, provides ongoing visibility of key cybersecurity activities inside the system boundary, continuous monitoring of controls, and enables proactive cyber defense. This approach unites tools, stakeholders, and controls to ensure continuous security and compliance, resilience, adaptability, and eliminates blind spots. In this context, Bryan Guinn, Air Force and Space Force Lead at CloudBees, explains how a systems approach to continuous ATO can harden security posture, enable warfighters faster, and make programs more resilient. The key concepts discussed are: 1) secure software delivery supply chain is the key to continuous ATO, 2) Mean Time to Mitigate should be the most important security metric, and 3) a multi-layered blueprint for Continuous ATO.