COVE at a Glance
This resource provides an overview of COVE (Coordinated Operations, Visibility & Enablement)—Shipcom’s secure-by-design development platform that accelerates the delivery of government applications by providing reusable security, compliance, and infrastructure services.
In this guide, you'll learn about:
- Platform Architecture: Understand how COVE provides a reusable foundation for building secure, mission-critical government applications.
- Identity & Access Management: Explore built-in authentication, authorization, RBAC, ABAC, and secure session management services.
- Zero Trust Security: Learn how COVE implements Verify Explicitly, Least Privilege, Assume Breach, and Continuous Validation principles across the platform.
- Data Protection & CUI Security: Discover how sensitive government data is protected through encryption, multi-tenant isolation, and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) safeguards.
- Compliance Automation: See how automated audit logging, evidence collection, System Security Plan (SSP) generation, and POA&M tracking simplify regulatory compliance.
- Integrated DevSecOps: Understand how security is embedded throughout the software lifecycle using automated testing, CI/CD pipelines, GitOps, and Infrastructure as Code.
- Cloud-Native Infrastructure: Learn about the technologies powering COVE, including Kubernetes, AWS GovCloud, Microsoft GCC High, service mesh, and observability tools.
- Security & Regulatory Alignment: Explore how COVE supports frameworks such as NIST SP 800-53, NIST SP 800-171, CMMC Level 2, ITAR, FedRAMP High, and DoD IL4/IL5 environments.
- Platform Engineering Benefits: Compare traditional government software development with a platform-based approach that reduces engineering effort and accelerates authorization readiness.
Platform Architecture & Core Design Principles
Government software isn’t just built, it must be secured, validated, monitored, and continuously compliant before it can support mission-critical operations.
COVE (Coordinated Operations, Visibility & Enablement) is Shipcom’s secure development platform that provides the security, compliance, infrastructure, and operational foundation required to build government applications faster without sacrificing security or regulatory requirements.
Instead of rebuilding authentication, authorization, encryption, audit logging, and compliance workflows for every application, COVE provides these capabilities as reusable platform services. Every product developed on COVE automatically inherits the platform’s security controls, allowing development teams to focus on delivering mission capabilities rather than rebuilding foundational infrastructure.
Challenges in Secure Government Application Development
Traditional software development often requires engineering teams to repeatedly implement the same foundational components.
For government applications, these components include:
Identity Management
Multi-Factor Authentication
Role-Based Authorization
Encryption
Audit Logging
Compliance Documentation
Infrastructure Security
DevSecOps Pipelines
Each implementation increases development effort, introduces inconsistencies, and extends Authorization to Operate (ATO) timelines. Platform engineering eliminates this redundancy by centralizing these capabilities into a shared technology foundation.
COVE Platform Architecture
Unlike an application, COVE is the underlying platform that powers applications. Think of it as an operating framework that provides standardized security, compliance, infrastructure, and operational services to every solution built on it.
A simplified view of COVE consists of several integrated layers:
1. Identity, Authentication & Trust Services
This layer establishes trusted user identity before access is granted.
- CAC / PIV Smart Card Authentication
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
- Single Sign-On (SSO)
- Secure Session Management
- Eliminates unauthorized access
- Supports government identity standards
- Centralized authentication across applications
2. Authorization Framework & Policy Enforcement
After authentication, COVE determines what resources users can access.
- Warehouse Manager → Inventory Management
- Administrator → Platform Configuration
- Operator → Asset Tracking
- Clearance Level
- Organization
- Project Assignment
- Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) Classification
3. Data Protection & Information Security Architecture
Government applications process highly sensitive operational information. COVE protects data throughout its lifecycle.
- Encryption at Rest
- Encryption in Transit
- Multi-Tenant Data Isolation
- Secure Object Storage
- Version Control
- Database Row-Level Security
Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) Protection Framework
Handling CUI requires strict adherence to federal guidance. COVE includes built-in capabilities for secure CUI management.
Features
- Automatic Banner Marking
- Need-to-Know Enforcement
- Data Loss Prevention Policies
- Dedicated Audit Trails
- Access Monitoring
These controls reduce manual configuration while supporting DoDI 5200.48 compliance requirements.
Automated Compliance & Governance Services
One of COVE’s biggest advantages is reducing manual compliance activities. Rather than preparing documentation only during assessment, compliance becomes a continuous process.
Automated Functions
- System Security Plan (SSP) Generation
- POA&M Tracking
- Evidence Collection
- Control Mapping
- Component Discovery
- Compliance Dashboards
This allows organizations to maintain continuous visibility into their security posture rather than relying on periodic assessments.
Zero Trust Security Architecture
COVE is built around Zero Trust principles rather than traditional perimeter security.
Verify Explicitly: Every request is authenticated and authorized. Identity is continuously validated based on user, device, location, and context.
Least Privilege: Users receive only the permissions necessary to perform assigned responsibilities. Temporary elevated access can be granted when required.
Assume Breach: Design security with the expectation that threats may already exist within the environment, using segmentation, encryption, and monitoring to contain and minimize impact.
Continuous Validation: Continuously verify user identity, access permissions, and session activity to detect changes in risk and respond to potential threats in real time.
Integrated DevSecOps Pipeline & Secure Software Delivery
Development Lifecycle
Design
- Threat Modeling
- Security Requirements
- Architecture Reviews
- Secure Coding Standards
- Peer Reviews
- Static Code Analysis
- Dependency Scanning
Testing
- Automated CI/CD
- Dynamic Security Testing
- Container Scanning
Deployment
- GitOps Automation
- Infrastructure as Code
- Security Gates
- Production Approvals
Operations
- Continuous Monitoring
- Vulnerability Management
- Patch Management
- Incident Response
Every phase contributes to maintaining application security without disrupting delivery speed.
Cloud-Native Infrastructure & Deployment Architecture
COVE leverages cloud environments designed for regulated workloads.
Infrastructure includes:
- AWS GovCloud
- Microsoft GCC High
- Kubernetes
- Service Mesh (mTLS)
- Infrastructure as Code
- GitOps Deployment
- FIPS 140-2 Validated Cryptography
These technologies provide secure, scalable deployment while meeting government hosting requirements.
Security Standards & Regulatory Alignment
COVE is designed to support organizations operating within demanding regulatory environments.
Supported Standards
NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: Security and privacy controls for federal systems
FedRAMP High Infrastructure: Secure government cloud deployment
DoD Authorization (ATO): Deployment within DoD IL4/IL5 environments
CMMC Level 2: Cybersecurity maturity for defense contractors
ITAR: Protection of defense-related technical data.
NIST SP 800-171: Protection of Controlled Unclassified Information.
These frameworks are integrated into platform capabilities, helping streamline compliance and reduce implementation effort.
Comparative Development Lifecycle Analysis
Traditional Development
Security built separately for every application
Authentication implemented repeatedly
Manual compliance documentation
Independent security controls
Longer authorization timelines
Higher engineering effort
Development on COVE
Security inherited from the platform
Centralized identity services
Automated documentation generation
Standardized platform controls
Accelerated authorization readiness
Focus on mission-specific capabilities
Operational Benefits of the COVE Platform
Government software must continuously balance innovation with security, compliance, and operational resilience.
COVE provides a reusable technology foundation that embeds security, compliance, and DevSecOps into every application built on the platform. By standardizing these foundational capabilities, organizations can reduce duplicated engineering effort, improve consistency across projects, and accelerate the delivery of mission-critical solutions while maintaining a strong security posture.