Content
Even if we’re not explicitly aware, software and applications have become an essential part of our digital lifeblood. Whether it’s online shopping, work, or communication, almost everything we do depends on software. But behind this digital facade lurk dangers that are often underestimated. The security of our software is a complex issue that goes far beyond mere functionality.
The foundations are fragile
The foundation of our digital lives (the Internet) is fundamentally insecure. Its architecture, which is not designed to meet today’s requirements, makes it vulnerable to attacks. Although there is a lot of talk about network security, the security of the actual software running on these networks is often neglected.
The complexity of software is a major risk factor. It consists of millions of lines of code and countless dependencies, which makes it almost impossible to write error-free code. An example illustrates the dimensions: The first space shuttle included around 400,000 lines of code, while modern cars contain around 150 million lines of code.
It is not possible to create perfect code. As such, it is essential to check and test code regularly to keep the number of errors to a minimum. Even extensive testing offers no guarantee that all errors will be detected. Renowned companies have had to painfully experience the consequences of software errors in the past. This became particularly clear in the catastrophic crashes of the Boeing 737 MAX 8, which were caused by software errors.
Open source: Opportunities and risks
Open-source software plays an important role in modern software development. It offers transparency and enables a broad review of code. However, even open-source software is not immune to security vulnerabilities. Perfect code does not exist, and therefore it is important to constantly review and test to minimize errors.
A study commissioned by the OSB Alliance examined the security of open source and proprietary software in detail. The results of the study show that a strict separation of the two models in terms of security is no longer tenable. Rather, the processes and methods of software development are decisive.
The study shows that open-source software offers a higher level of security due to its transparency and the involvement of a large developer community. However, this is only the case with continuous updates and an active community. Proprietary software, on the other hand, often impresses with its comprehensive support and legal clarity.
The combination of open-source software with commercial services proves to be particularly advantageous. It allows companies to benefit from the advantages of open-source development while at the same time having access to the support and expertise of commercial providers.
Why is open-source software vulnerable?
- Rapid development: The rapid development cycle can lead to errors being overlooked.
- Large code base: The larger the code, the more difficult it is to find all possible vulnerabilities.
- Lack of resources: Many open-source projects are run by volunteers who may not have the same resources as commercial companies.
Third-party software: An often-overlooked risk
Many companies use third-party software to implement certain functions. However, this software can also contain security vulnerabilities. A well-known example is the Log4j vulnerability, which was discovered in a widely used Java library and was found to affect numerous companies worldwide. This vulnerability allowed attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems.
Artificial intelligence: Helper or obstacle?
Artificial intelligence (AI) opens new perspectives for the development of secure software. Tools for automatic code analysis help to identify vulnerabilities at an early stage. Nevertheless, certain risks must be considered when using AI. One of the most notable is that the training data of AI models may already contain bias, which affects the results.
Contact our experts and find out how your business can be protected with an automated security solution.
What can companies do?
- Continuous review: Companies should regularly check which open-source components and third-party software they are using and whether these are secure and up-to-date.
- Software Composition Analysis (SCA): Tools for SCA help to identify the software components used and uncover vulnerabilities.
- Security awareness: Employees should be sensitized to the topic of security and know how to deal with potential threats.
- Patch management: Regular updates are essential to close known vulnerabilities.
- Backups: Regular backups are an equally essential part of a comprehensive security concept to prevent data loss in the event of a security incident.
Conclusion
The discussion about the security of open source and proprietary software is long outdated. The processes, transparency and quality of software development are far more decisive. Companies should use a combination of both approaches while ensuring high quality standards and continuous updates.
Integration into open-source communities can further increase security. Uniform standards and certifications are necessary to improve the comparability of software solutions. As such, it is fair to say that the future of software security lies in the combination of human experts and artificial intelligence.
Share this post
