The governments of the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, Australia, and New Zealand have released a joint guidance on implementing cybersecurity measures in the shipment of software and other tech products.
CISA said Thursday the creation of the guidance was led in the U.S. by the FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the National Security Agency.
The first-of-its-kind document urges software manufacturers to take a secure-by-design and -default approach in developing products that are shipped to customers. It also includes core principles for incorporating cybersecurity at the design phase, prior to product development.
“Ensuring that software manufacturers integrate security into the earliest phases of design for their products is critical to building a secure and resilient technology ecosystem,” CISA Director Jen Easterly remarked. “These secure by design and secure by default principles aim to help catalyze industry-wide change across the globe to better protect all technology users,” the 2023 Wash100 award winner added.
A prior Wash100 award recipient, NSA Cybersecurity Director Rob Joyce, echoed the sentiment. “Insecure technology products can pose risks to individual users and our national security,” he commented. “If manufacturers consistently prioritize security during design and development, we can reduce the number of malicious cyber intrusions we see.”
The guidance, entitled “Shifting the Balance of Cybersecurity Risk: Principles and Approaches for Security-by-Design and -Default,” is available on CISA’s website.
On June 8, the Potomac Officers Club will host the 2023 Cyber Summit to discuss the evolving role of the technology in the public sector. Join the event by clicking on the banner above.