Rush to tech innovation is putting companies at risk of cyberattacks

To remain ahead of their peers - or at least to remain competitive - most companies these days are rushing to innovate different technologies.

However this can put them at risk of cyberattacks, a new report from BlackBerry has warned. Based on a global survey of 1,000 embedded software developers and engineers, the report found the majority of UK respondents (77%) admitted to compromising on critical safety aspects in order to meet pressing deadlines. Furthermore, if they are not pressed with deadlines, they are with funding.

Also, while three-quarters (74%) of respondents in the UK consider security either a “top”, or “high” priority in their software and applications, they aren’t diligent when it comes to patching. The average time between two updates is five weeks, BlackBerry said, adding that this frequency varies significantly.

OS woes

Another important aspect while building new technologies is the underlying operating system. Some respondents (28%) said that they weren’t confident their OS of choice had the necessary safety certifications. What’s more, 14% “firmly believe” their OS lacks these features, and another 14% said their OS was only partially compliant.

OS plays a major role in project timelines, the report stressed, saying 29% of organizations in the UK missed their deadlines due to time spent developing, certifying, and testing the OS. Using open source solutions doesn’t help much, since open source is more likely to experience a breach, compared to proprietary software (52% versus 31%).

For João Pereira, Director, EMEA General Embedded Market Sales at BlackBerry QNX, the solution is in pre-certified software: “As we enter the era of 'Software-Defined Everything,' where devices and infrastructure increasingly rely on software for operations, new features, and innovation, the importance of functional (FuSa) safety is paramount. While 91% of UK organizations surveyed recognize this as a priority, it’s clear developers are under growing pressure to meet deadlines and budgets, which is why pre-certified software is so important to enabling organizations not only meet their goals, but doing so without compromise.”

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