Page 57 - Cyber Warnings

Speaking of NASA, the agency came up on the presidential campaign trail recently, with
Republican hopeful Dr. Ben Carson launching the idea that the country needs a "NASA for
cybersecurity." The existence of the proposal underlines how far cyber threats have moved into
public consciousness.

Building better code
You may have a sense of just how big a job that is, but let's put it in numerical perspective using
a back-of-the-envelope calculation Shannon is fond of repeating.

An average software system will have millions of lines of code. Let's consider one with 2 million
such lines. The average rate for bugs is 1 per 1,000 lines of code. And let's say the rate of bugs
that pose security problems is just 1 percent. So that system with 2 million lines of codes will
easily have 20 potential security breaches lurking within it as it goes out into the world.

Shannon told the MIT magazine that secure coding is especially key as the Internet of Things
dynamic takes hold. More and more devices having some form of connectivity is rapidly raising
the number of vectors through which malicious cyber actors might attack.

Shannon said the government is in the process of creating an R&D strategic plan for
cybersecurity. Congress authorized the effort back in 2014. A draft of that R&D plan is due early
this year.

The entire interview is well worth a read to anyone interested in the future of cybersecurity.

About the Author

Alex Lating began working for Hexis Cyber Solutions in 2015 as the product
marketing manager. Previously she has worked at Gemalto and SafeNet
and is currently studying to receive her MBA from Loyola University
Maryland. Follow her on twitter @alate3.

Hexis Cyber Solutions is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The KEYW Holding
Corporation (NASDAQ: KEYW), and a provider of advanced cybersecurity
solutions for commercial companies and government agencies.

Connect with Hexis online: http://www.hexiscyber.com/

Hexis Blog: http://www.hexiscyber.com/blog

Twitter: @hexis_cyber

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hexis-cyber-solutions

57 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine – February 2016 Edition
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