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IT majors forge SAFECode alliance

QA group exits quiet phase

Leading IT vendors have clubbed together to form a new organisation geared to increasing trust in IT products and services through software assurance.

The clunkily-monikered Software Assurance Forum for Excellence in Code (SAFECode)* has signed up EMC, Juniper Networks, Microsoft, SAP and Symantec as founder members. The non-profit organisation, launched at the RSA Europe security conference on Tuesday, is looking to add to this roster with fresh vendor recruits. It also aims to bring governments and critical infrastructure providers on board, as well as influencing the developing of software engineering course in industry.

Individual vendors have developed effective methods for developing and delivering more secure and reliable software, but until now everyone has largely worked in isolation on the problem. SAFECode aims to fill this gap with a global, industry-led push towards developing more secure code.

Ben Fathi, Microsoft’s corporate vice president for Windows development, explained that the group would exchange best practice methodologies. Although e-commerce is booming, he said, there’s still a need to build greater trust into IT products and services.

SAFECode named Paul Kurtz as its executive director. Currently a partner at Good Harbor Consulting, Kurtz served in senior positions on the White House’s National Security and Homeland Security Councils under Presidents Clinton and Bush. He also served as the founding executive director at the Cyber Security Industry Alliance. ®

Bootnote

*The name of the Software Assurance Forum for Excellence in Code recalls, in our minds at least, the award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence bestowed on Homer Simpson.

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