When developing software, you must ensure that that it is both safe and secure. But what is the difference between your code being safe, and your code being secure? Here, we discuss the differences between the two, and explain why you need to ensure that your software is both safe and secure.
The Difference Between Safety and Security
The most significant difference between safety and security is this: Safety means no harm is caused — deliberate or otherwise — while security means no deliberate harm is caused — at all. However, there are other important differences.
Code Security Prevents Cyberattacks: Code security is about preventing unwanted or illegal activity in your software.
Code Safety Ensures Reliability: Code safety is a broad term that indicates whether software is reliable and safe to use.
Security Helps Achieve Safety: Security is a means to achieve safety.
How Coding Standards — Like MISRA — Drive Software Safety
Safety is essential to industries, such as automotive, rail, medical device, and aerospace and defense. For years, MISR coding guidelines have helped developers in those industries keep high-reliability systems safe. In addition, the MISRA C:2012 Amendment 1 outlines security measures to help you identify and avoid common security vulnerabilities in your software systems. While coding standards don’t provide you with foolproof security, they do help you to ensure that your code is reliable and maintains high quality.
How to Enforce Software Safety and Security
The most effective way to enforce software safety and security is to use a static code analysis tool. In fact, MISRA recommends that you use a static code analysis tool to ensure the highest degree of compliance. By using a static code analysis tool, you’re able to identify software safety and security vulnerabilities, errors and bugs. This enables you to fix these potential weaknesses before they become dangerous and damaging. What’s more, a static code analyzer leads to more secure, safer software.
To read more, please visit: https://www.perforce.com/blog/kw/software-safety-vs-security-whats-different
