Have you considered how software integrity impacts your establishment's cybersecurity? Many businesses tend to forget that the digital applications and programs they use for daily operations can become a major weak point, even when they come from established providers. Learn more about it here.
What Is Software Integrity?
As the name suggests, software integrity is the assurance that software remains trustworthy, secure, and unaltered throughout its lifecycle, from development to deployment. It guarantees that programs function as intended without unauthorized modification, tampering, or malicious code insertion.
Some ways providers verify the integrity of their products include:
- Using cryptographic signatures to guarantee authenticity.
- Checking cryptographic hashes for alterations.
- Implementing strict controls and reviews throughout the product's life cycle.
- Auditing third-party code for vulnerabilities.
A Rise in Software-Based Attacks
The consequences of neglecting software supply chain security are already here, from the recent AWS outage to the M&S and Jaguar Land Rover cyberattacks. Governments and enterprises alike are trying to combat this issue by keeping data within national borders. The idea is that localized sovereignty should make vulnerability management easier.
More than half of UK IT leaders are in the process of ending ties with US cloud providers. Denmark has even begun phasing out software from established industry giants, Microsoft and Windows.
The Problem With Data Sovereignty
Will data localization create a safer digital space for businesses? Unfortunately, it won't fix the root issue that is software integrity. Keeping data within a specific region will offer no protection if the very applications and programs that process it are fundamentally flawed.
For example, if you store your company's sensitive information exclusively on local servers, its safety still depends on the quality of the cloud infrastructure and coding.
Without a secure software development lifecycle, the only change data sovereignty can enforce is total political control. Local governments will now have tighter jurisdiction over data, without the scrutiny from foreign entities.
What Can Businesses Do To Keep Their Data Safe?
The easiest way to confirm the integrity of your software is by staying on top of your service provider's updates. Most programs should install security patches automatically, but it's still smart to verify them manually.
You can take it a step further by investing in a static code analysis tool. It's an automated software tampering prevention process that examines source code, bytecode, and binaries without actually executing the program. Here's how it works:
- Parsing: The program analyzes the source code and generates an intermediate representation to accurately model its structure.
- Analysis: The code integrity verification tool applies pre-defined rules, data flow, and control flow analysis to the AST to find violations or risky patterns.
- Reporting: Most tools generate a report that flags the specific lines of code, the issue type, and often provides potential solutions.
Securing Your Software With Confidence
By including software integrity verification in your workflow, your business can proactively prevent vulnerabilities and ensure robust, secure systems. It's a solid investment. Staying one step ahead of threats builds trust, protects your reputation, and keeps your operations running smoothly.
