UK appoints software security ambassadors to promote Code of Practice

According to The Register, the UK's digital economy minister has launched a new initiative to bolster software security across the nation. Baroness Liz Lloyd announced a program enlisting companies as "ambassadors" to encourage broader adoption of the UK's Software Security Code of Practice.

The initiative aims to build confidence in digital systems, which Lloyd stated is crucial for realizing the benefits of the digital economy and AI. She emphasized that software security is not merely a technical issue but a commercial imperative, with trust being the key to growth. Despite the UK possessing strong global cyber defenses and significant expertise clusters, the adoption of the Software Security Code of Practice has been slow, with only a quarter of organizations considering cybersecurity when purchasing software. To address this, the government is leveraging a group of industry leaders, including major companies like Sage, Cisco, Palo Alto, Accenture, NCC Group, ISACA, ISC2, and customer-facing entities such as Lloyds and Santander, to champion secure software practices.

This program draws a parallel to the World Health Organization's hand hygiene code, aiming to establish the Software Security Code of Practice as a non-legally enforced, yet widely adopted, benchmark for best practices. The goal is to make robust cybersecurity as accessible and ingrained as basic hygiene, thereby enhancing the security of the UK's digital infrastructure and fostering greater trust in its growing digital economy.

Source: The Register