BSA Cybersecurity for the Connected Age

About the Site

The world is more connected now than ever. Half the world’s population is now online, and billions of connected devices are connecting a wide variety of our daily activities to the Internet of Things. While these online connections bring opportunity, they also create risk, including large-scale data theft, privacy violations, phishing scams, ransomware, and malicious information operations that affect millions of people around the world each year.

Addressing this challenge to the digital economy, requires innovative cybersecurity practices and tools to defend the integrity, privacy, and utility of the Internet ecosystem. Although businesses, private citizens, and government agencies all share responsibility for enhancing cybersecurity, the government plays a singular role.

BSA Cybersecurity Agenda

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BSA | The Software Alliance urges governments to embrace software solutions, as well as collaboration with the software industry, to confront urgent security challenges.

Promote a Secure Software Ecosystem

Promote a secure software ecosystem by leveraging industry standards, developing novel tools to understand critical security information, and strengthening security research and vulnerability disclosure.

Establish the BSA Framework for Secure Software as a widely recognized benchmark for software security

Support adoption of a set of widely recognized, industry-driven software development and management best practices to elevate cybersecurity methods and promote resiliency.

Develop novel tools to communicate critical cybersecurity information to consumers and enterprise stakeholders

Establish widely used, market-driven tools for providing relevant cybersecurity information to consumers and enterprise stakeholders to inform purchasing decisions, network operation, and risk
management.

Strengthen identity management

Work to expand adoption of identity management technologies across public and private sector organizations, and to increase emphasis on identity management in cybersecurity policies and frameworks.

Promote security research and vulnerability management

Strengthen investment in security research aligned to coordinated vulnerability disclosure programs, and drive adoption of coordinated vulnerability disclosure by governments and businesses.

Drive IoT cybersecurity by adopting proven software security best practices

Integrate security-by-design principles into IoT standards and guidance, and develop frameworks for assessing risk and identifying security measures.

Advocate Collaborative Approaches to Strengthen Supply Chain Security

Advocate collaborative approaches to strengthen supply chain security by supporting interoperable,
risk-based supply chain security policies, strengthening security of 5G and software supply chains, and prioritizing cybersecurity in government acquisition.

Secure information technology supply chains through interoperable, risk-based policies

Strengthen supply chain security for information technology products by establishing holistic, transparent, fair policies that prioritize risk management and public-private collaboration.

Strengthen security of software supply chains

Advance innovative approaches to managing third-party and open source software components.

Drive security in 5G and future networks

Promote adoption of software solutions to 5G security challenges, undergirded by internationally recognized standards and multilateral approaches to governance.

Prioritize cybersecurity in government acquisition

Incentivize cybersecurity by creating competition for cybersecurity performance in government acquisition processes.

Pursue International Consensus for Cybersecurity Action

Pursue international consensus for cybersecurity action by supporting international standards development as well as working to align international security laws and promote agreement on global norms.

Align global cybersecurity laws to promote security and economic growth

Support both cybersecurity and economic growth by promoting the alignment and international interoperability of laws and policies across countries to foster innovation, security advancements, free flows of data, and market access.

Advance international cybersecurity norms

Encourage international dialogue and drive agreements on cybersecurity practices in bilateral and multilateral frameworks.

Support international standards development and adoption

Support efforts to develop and update international standards for key security functions. Encourage global adoption of policies and certification frameworks aligned with international standards.

Build international capacity for good cyber governance

Work with governments to expand global efforts to build international capacity for cyber governance and contributions to global stability in cyberspace.

Develop a 21st Century Cybersecurity Workforce

Develop a 21st century cybersecurity workforce by increasing access to computer science and STEM
education, opening new paths to cybersecurity careers, and empowering workers with technology.

Increase access to computer science education

Expand cybersecurity and STEM education for K–12 as well as in undergraduate computer science programs, increase scholarships, and encourage diversity.

Promote alternative paths to cybersecurity careers

Launch careers through apprenticeship programs, community colleges, “boot camps,” and public service, and establish mid-career retraining programs to provide workers with high-demand cybersecurity skills.

Leverage automation to empower workers

Accelerate adoption of technologies that help cybersecurity professionals more effectively identify risks and focus on high-priority tasks.

Build a highly skilled workforce to defend the most critical systems

Target training and education programs to meet demands for cybersecurity professionals to defend information and operational technologies underpinning critical infrastructure.

Advance Cybersecurity Through Digital Transformation

Advance cybersecurity by embracing digital transformation, advancing innovative cloud security solutions, leveraging the potential of emerging technologies, and forging innovative partnerships to
combat emerging risks.

Advance innovative solutions to cloud security

Support widespread adoption of cloud technologies by advancing standards-based cloud security policies that enable innovative, adaptable security solutions.

Help Smart Cities stay cyber resilient

Provide planning support, threat information, and incident response support to municipal planners and managers to enhance the resilience of Smart Cities against cyber threats. Encourage national governments to provide funding and other support to local governments for Smart Cities cybersecurity.

Leverage emerging technologies to enhance security

Target investments and constructive policies to capitalize on the tremendous potential of artificial intelligence, quantum computing, blockchain, strong encryption, and other emerging technologies to enhance security.

Modernize government IT

Invest in IT infrastructure for governments at all levels with an eye toward cybersecurity, including through adoption of cloud computing, defense-in-depth, continuous monitoring, and innovative security technologies.