The National Security Agency and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency have jointly published a cybersecurity information sheet titled “Memory Safe Languages: Reducing Vulnerabilities in Modern Software Development” to emphasize the importance of memory safe languages, or MSLs, in bolstering software security.
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Enhancing Cybersecurity With Memory Safe Languages
NSA said Tuesday the CSI encourages the adoption of MSLs to enhance cybersecurity by addressing memory vulnerabilities. The two agencies advocate for organizations to assess the feasibility of adopting MSLs. The document also urges software producers, particularly those developing for national security systems and critical infrastructure, to utilize the guide to start leveraging MSLs for their software systems.
Organizations can use the CSI to plan for the adoption of MSLs. It discusses various adoption approaches and engineering considerations for proper MSL implementation, as well as ways to utilize interoperability for integration without rewriting existing codebases. Furthermore, the CSI offers recommendations for enhancing the safety of non-MSL code if adoption is not practical.
How Do MSLs Work?
MSLs are designed with integrated safeguards such as bounds checking, memory management and data race prevention. These security features work against memory vulnerabilities and threats to prevent safety issues, including data breaches, system crashes and operational disruptions.
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