Editorials
By SD Times News Team
September 1, 2006 —
(Page 1 of 2)
Software development managers, working in the private sector, probably don’t want their governments setting rules and regulations for secure programming practices. But guidance, and visibility for computer security at the highest levels of government—that’s important, not only to emphasize the critical need for security, but also because there are unique resources that only governments can provide in terms of research and prescriptive measures.
That is why the failure of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to fill the position of cybersecurity chief, which has remained open for nearly two years, is disgraceful. Not only does the United States have a large, and growing, computer security problem, but software development is an area in which the U.S. is generally seen as a leader and innovator, and a positive influence for change. But not in cybersecurity.
We acknowledge that the appointment of a politicized cybersecurity chief, who will assume the title of formal assistant secretary for cybersecurity and telecommunications, truly is a symbolic gesture. But symbols are important. Naming an individual to that post will serve as a formal acknowledgment from the U.S. government that secure coding practices play a pivotal role in preventing unauthorized access to consumer information and other key data.
Having a cybersecurity chief will also prompt the Department of Homeland Security—and potentially, other governments—to implement a 2-year-old set of recommendations put forth by its Improving Security Across the Software Development Lifecycle task force. But until the U.S. government accepts its own recommendations, it is unlikely others will follow them.
While government procrastinates, the private sector, driven by the profit motive, has moved ahead in educating development teams and senior management about secure coding practices, and in creating new products and services to help write better software. And even though the subtext of their message is clearly “buy our tools,” these software companies are doing a better job than the U.S. government.
Government can and should serve as a neutral source of knowledge. The world has benefited from the work done by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control, for example. While certainly computer security isn’t a problem of that magnitude, the U.S. government has an obligation to fill its own open position. Today’s government places an emphasis on protecting the homeland. It’s time to appoint a cybersecurity chief.
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