Most of the firmware built into embedded parts and IoT devices use third-party code that contains open source components. Despite their advantages including reduction of assembly costs and increase in efficiency, third-party code harbors the disadvantage of known security vulnerabilities. Manufacturers selling enterprise clients and consumer mobile devices have patched security vulnerabilities found on operating systems and applications via a push model. Yet, no standardized system currently exists to administer such robust security measures for IoT manufacturers or consumers. Consequently, IoT platforms have become an easy, inexpensive target of cyber-attacks. The positive potential offered by embedded systems and IoT devices in personal, commercial and societal applications borders on the incredible. New industries will emerge and others will be completely transformed for the better. However, unless security is effectively addressed, they may remain just that, a potentially positive group of products and services. OEMs and their development teams should look to implement an easy, first line of IoT security defense by scanning and addressing potential security holes that exist in the firmware.Insignary Clarity can help manage and secure your open source.
We are witnesses of an automotive revolution. Software advancements in the auto industry have transformed not only our method of transportation, but also our means of communication and consumption. At the core of these technological developments is open source software (OSS), which comprises, on average, 23% of automotive commercial applications. But innovation is outpacing security, as known vulnerabilities in OSS hide in software code, enabling cyberattacks. The infotainment system in Tesla Model S validated this illogical and dangerous sequence, as it had contained a four-year-old vulnerability with the potential to allow hackers to both start a fully remote vehicle and cut its motor. When auto OEMs and their suppliers have limited visibility into and control over OSS components in their in-house and third-party code base, they are ill-equipped to defend against security breaches targeting OSS vulnerabilities. But with the emergence of connected cars and eventually, autonomous vehicles, software security equates to passenger privacy and safety. Consequently, vehicle manufacturers and their suppliers must take proper steps to address this very challenge of managing OSS, present in countless supply chains of the vast majority of the automotive industry. Insignary Clarity can help manage and secure your open source.
The sensitive nature of client information in investment banks, insurance companies, and security service providers working in the financial services sector makes proper open source management undeniably critical. Yet the complexity of the software supply chain, comprised of in-house and third-party open source code, presents a challenge for security and development teams to effectively track all open source software components in their codebase and accurately quantify their open source security risk. Consequently, top multinational players in the Financial Services/FinTech field have made steps to proactively address and prioritize their open source management. Their strategies share the foundational objective: gain visibility into open source usage within codebases through an automated process that generated detailed inventories of any security vulnerabilities and license compliance issues. Insignary Clarity can help manage and secure your open source.
In the past few years, government bodies have progressively shown support for open source software, not only to advance the ”better for less” mission, but also to promote innovation within government and better facilitate the transfer of data. Despite these positive intentions, the 2017 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) revealed that out of twelve industries compared, the public sector comprised the third most prevalent breach victims at 12%. This ranking is particularly problematic when considering the somewhat universal truth that governments do not work very fast. Approximately 60% of these breach cases were discovered years after they had originally occurred. Though we fully welcome the public sector mandate to embrace open source software, we also believe that it must be accompanied by strategic plans to ensure cybersecurity. Insignary Clarity can help manage and secure your open source.
On May 25th 2018, the European Union (E.U.) enacted its landmark General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that was approved in 2016. Not only does the GDPR affect any organization located or doing business in the E.U., it also impacts organizations processing data of E.U. individuals, regardless of their own geographic location. So what is the GDPR? According to the official GDPR website, it is a law to “protect all E.U. citizens from privacy and data breaches in an increasingly data-driven world.” Its reach is broad, “it will apply to the processing of personal data by controllers and processors in the EU, regardless of whether the processing takes place in the EU or not.” And, the penalties are non-trivial, “organizations in breach of GDPR can be fined up to 4% of annual global turnover or €20 Million (whichever is greater).” Open source software development and use are irreversible trends in today’s business. And given the undeniable importance of the E.U market, organizations must adapt to comply with the GDPR. It is prudent for software development and IT teams to investigate and reevaluate, in-depth: the ramifications of GDPR, their client data and privacy procedures, the short-term risk mitigation potently offered by cyber security insurances and their plans and practices for finding and responding to open source security vulnerabilities. Insignary Clarity can help manage and secure your open source.