Source URL: https://www.theregister.com/2024/09/20/cisa_sloppy_vendors_cybercrime_villains/
Source: Hacker News
Title: CISA boss: Makers of insecure software are the real cyber villains
Feedly Summary: Comments
AI Summary and Description: Yes
Summary: Jen Easterly, head of the US CISA, emphasizes that the onus is on software developers to create secure and bug-free products, which is crucial in the fight against cybercrime. She criticizes the complacency surrounding software vulnerabilities and calls for a cultural shift where software issues are seen as product defects rather than mere vulnerabilities. Her remarks at the mWise conference highlight the need for technology vendors to adopt more stringent security practices and for buyers to leverage their purchasing power to ensure compliance.
Detailed Description:
– **Emphasis on Vendor Responsibility**: Easterly argues that technology vendors are primarily responsible for the prevalence of cyber vulnerabilities, which are essentially “product defects.” She insists on shifting the narrative away from blaming victims for not applying patches quickly enough, prompting a deeper inquiry into the underlying quality of the software produced.
– **Security vs. Software Quality**: With the cybersecurity industry being multi-billion dollars, she points out a critical issue—the fundamental quality of software is lacking, leading to significant cybersecurity breaches. She likens the current state of software to that of safety measures in other industries, stating that we wouldn’t tolerate defective cars or airplanes.
– **Critique of Current Practices**: Easterly believes the term “software vulnerabilities” dilutes accountability and calls for a more rigorous nomenclature and mindset shift in how product defects are perceived and managed.
– **Secure by Design Initiative**: Notably, she highlights the “Secure by Design” pledge, which nearly 200 vendors, including tech giants like AWS and Microsoft, have signed. This voluntary commitment includes goals such as enhanced multi-factor authentication and reducing reliance on default passwords, which are pivotal in improving software security.
– **Guidance for Organizations**: CISA has released guidance for organizations to scrutinize the security protocols of software vendors during procurement. Easterly encourages businesses to actively engage suppliers with questions about their commitment to security standards.
– **Call to Action for Buyers**: Easterly urges organizations to utilize their purchasing power to influence vendors towards adopting secure design principles. She stresses the importance of demanding accountability and fostering a culture of security from the outset of the product development life cycle.
In conclusion, Easterly’s insights challenge both software developers and organizations to address the inherent quality issues in software development that contribute to ongoing cyber threats. This dialogue serves as a reminder of the imperative to prioritize security in the software creation process and reinforces the idea that accountability should extend beyond mere compliance when it comes to safeguarding critical infrastructure.