The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have recently unveiled the Product Security Bad Practices catalog, a pivotal step in fostering secure software development across various industries. This comprehensive document identifies particularly risky software development practices and provides detailed guidelines for mitigating associated vulnerabilities. It specifically emphasizes the need for software manufacturers, particularly those responsible for critical infrastructure and national critical functions (NCFs), to recognize and avoid these bad practices in order to bolster overall cybersecurity. By addressing these vulnerabilities, the catalog aims to safeguard essential services and protect both users and organizations from potential cyber threats.
The release of this catalog is both timely and crucial, aligning seamlessly with the National Cybersecurity Strategy. This strategy seeks to shift the onus of defending cyberspace onto the entities best positioned to manage it, namely the software manufacturers themselves. CISA Director Jen Easterly underscored the urgency of tackling fundamental software defects that continue to facilitate devastating attacks on critical infrastructure, such as hospitals, schools, and public utilities. She stated, “It’s 2024, and basic, preventable software defects continue to enable crippling attacks against hospitals, schools, and other critical infrastructure. This has to stop.” The guidance provided in the catalog, while voluntary, serves to motivate manufacturers to proactively take ownership of their products’ security and contribute to a future where cybersecurity is embedded in software design from the ground up.
Public engagement is a key component of this initiative, as the catalog is currently open for public comment until December 2, 2024. This feedback period invites stakeholders from various sectors—including software developers, industry leaders, and cybersecurity experts—to provide their insights and contribute to the refinement of the guidance. This collaborative approach emphasizes the importance of joint efforts between the public and private sectors to create a robust culture of security in software development. As White House National Cyber Director Harry Coker Jr. articulated, the ramifications of inadequate software security practices extend far beyond individual organizations, impacting national security and the everyday lives of American citizens. He urged the private sector to take its responsibilities seriously, reinforcing the notion that secure software is a collective responsibility.
The Product Security Bad Practices catalog builds on CISA’s Secure by Design initiative, which is supported by 18 U.S. and international agencies and encourages software manufacturers to adopt best practices in security. The catalog is thoughtfully organized into three major categories: Product Properties, Security Features, and Organizational Processes and Policies. The Product Properties category highlights the observable security-related qualities that software should exhibit to operate securely under various conditions. The Security Features section outlines the essential functionalities that a product must support to protect against unauthorized access and malicious use. Lastly, the Organizational Processes and Policies category focuses on manufacturers’ internal processes, particularly their commitment to transparency and security throughout their development lifecycle.
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