Memory-Safety Roadmap for Secure Programming

Why does CISA recommend memory-safety standards

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, ensuring the security and reliability of your software is more crucial than ever. As cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated, integrating modern programming languages like Rust into your existing C and C++ applications can dramatically improve memory safety and system robustness.

The challenge to write memory-safe code

C and C++ have long been the backbone of many critical systems. However, they do come with inherent risks related to memory management, which can lead to vulnerabilities such as buffer overflows and memory leaks. There are proven best practices and tools to make your C or C++ application safe, using languages that are memory-safe by default removes this risk.

CISA's Recommendations

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) highlights the importance of addressing these security challenges. According to CISA, organizations should prioritize eliminating the use of unsupported software and technologies that are considered bad practices for product security. They strongly recommend transitioning to languages and frameworks that inherently provide memory safety. Moreover, CISA has issued a compelling directive for companies to publish a comprehensive memory-safety roadmap by January 1, 2026. This roadmap should outline the steps your organization plans to take to migrate towards safer coding practices, leveraging languages like Rust that enforce strict memory management rules.

Why Rust?

Rust is designed to be both safe and fast, offering a unique combination of performance and security. Its ownership model ensures memory safety without needing a garbage collector, making it an ideal choice for integrating into existing C and C++ codebases. Rust's growing ecosystem and active community also provide a wealth of resources and support for developers.

How KDAB Can Help

KDAB specializes in guiding organizations through the complex process of integrating Rust with existing C and C++ applications and generally, use C/C++ safely, appliying modern best practices, tools and processes.

The experts will work with you to:

• Evaluate and Plan: Assess your current software infrastructure and develop a strategic plan for improvments of your existing code and eventual Rust integration.
  
• Seamless Integration: Ensure smooth and efficient integration of Rust, minimizing disruptions to your existing systems.
  
• Memory-Safety Roadmap: Assist in crafting a detailed memory-safety roadmap that aligns with CISA's recommendations, positioning your company as a leader in software security.

By partnering with KDAB, you can improve the security, performance, and future-readiness of your applications.