Title:
From Detection to Mission-Ready Remediation: Securing the Air Force Open Source Supply Chain with Red Hat Project Lightwell

Abstract:
The Department of the Air Force relies on open source software across mission applications, hybrid platforms, AI workloads, and cyber operations. The challenge is no longer simply detecting vulnerabilities; it is remediating them quickly, safely, and consistently across complex, accredited, and operationally sensitive environments.

This session introduces Red Hat Project Lightwell, an AI-augmented open source security clearinghouse designed to help organizations move from vulnerability awareness to production-ready remediation. Lightwell combines Red Hat’s enterprise open source expertise, AI-assisted vulnerability analysis, coordinated disclosure, validated patching, and upstream contribution to help reduce software supply chain risk without forcing disruptive upgrades or slowing mission delivery.

Attendees will learn how this model can support Air Force priorities such as continuous authorization, DevSecOps, zero trust, platform modernization, and resilient mission operations. The discussion will focus on practical use cases for Air Force software factories, platform teams, cyber defenders, and program offices: reducing CVE backlogs, maintaining trusted dependencies, improving patch confidence, and strengthening the open source ecosystem that underpins modern defense systems.

By connecting Red Hat's open source solutions with downstream mission environments, Project Lightwell offers a path toward faster remediation, stronger trust, and more secure mission software at Air Force scale.