Software Security Engineering: A Guide for Project Managers

Chapter 1. Why Is Security a Software Issue?^[*]

1.1. Introduction

Software is everywhere. It runs your car. It controls your cell phone. It’s how you access your bank’s financial services; how you receive electricity, water, and natural gas; and how you fly from coast to coast [McGraw 2006]. Whether we recognize it or not, we all rely on complex, interconnected, software-intensive information systems that use the Internet as their means for communicating and transporting information.

Building, deploying, operating, and using software that has not been developed with security in mind can be high risk—like walking a high wire without a net (Figure 1–1). The degree of risk can be compared to the distance you can fall and the potential impact (no ...