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Software publishers are prime targets for cyber-attackers. Investing in Offensive Security can be a real asset!
Cyber-attacks are on the increase, endangering sensitive company and user data. Software publishers are particularly hard hit. Investing in Offensive Security, or OffSec, can be a real asset in protecting products, data and the company.
Why defensive security isn’t enough for software publishers
Offensive and defensive security both aim to protect assets, but they do not use the same means:
- Defensive security measures focus on monitoring, identifying, and neutralizing incidents and threats. The defensive approach is primarily reactive.
- In contrast, Offensive Security is proactive, aiming to identify system vulnerabilities before cyber-attackers exploit them. OffSec, therefore, involves security tests that simulate cyberattacks and test systems to identify their weaknesses.
Software publishers: strategic targets under constant attack
As software producers, software publishers are particularly hard hit by cyber-attacks. As the ideal entry point for cyber-attackers, software piracy enables them to infect many users rapidly. Software vulnerabilities are as many points of entry for malicious actors.
In 2020, cyber-attacks against software publishers increased by 146% worldwide. (Check Point Software 2022)
Constant new threats
Another decisive factor is the constant evolution of cyber-attacks. Every day, cybercriminals can discover new vulnerabilities and exploit them. To stay one step ahead of attacks, purely defensive security is therefore not sufficiently adequate: it is essential to become aware of your weaknesses before cyber criminals do and act rather than react.
The importance of anticipating attacks: the Offensive Security solution
OffSec testing offers several advantages for software publishers.
An approach that strengthens the Information System security
Offensive security enables software publishers to identify and correct vulnerabilities in their systems and products, thus preventing cyber-attackers from exploiting them while strengthening overall software security.
A way to reduce the cost of cyber attacks
By detecting and correcting software vulnerabilities, software publishers limit attacks and, therefore, their consequences, which can be of the following kinds:
- Financial: the costs associated with emergency corrections, data recovery, litigation, and restoring user confidence can be considerable.
- Regulatory: strict standards, such as the GDPR, have been implemented to guarantee the confidentiality and security of personal information. In a cyber-attack, a non-compliant publisher is exposed to sanctions.
- Reputational: The media often covers an attack on a software company, significantly when the consequences impact users. This damages the company’s reputation and erodes customer confidence.
A differentiating argument for users
Offensive Security also contributes to improved product quality and greater user confidence. Software publishers demonstrate their commitment to protecting user data by offering secure software free from known vulnerabilities. An offensive approach can therefore act as a differentiating argument for the competition and influence reputation and sales.
Read also: Software publishers: cybersecurity as a trust-building lever
Pentesting and Bug Bounty: two approaches to Offensive Security
As you can see, investing in OffSec enables software publishers to strengthen their security and competitive edge by offering safer, more reliable products. In concrete terms, OffSec translates into two types of security tests:
- Pentest as a Service: a security audit launched in less than a week for a fixed price. Uncover most of the vulnerabilities in a product and assess its security level at a given time or schedule several pentests throughout your development cycle as part of a DevSecOps approach.
- Bug bounty: an in-depth hunt for vulnerabilities with the security researchers of the Yogosha Strike Force. Identify the most critical vulnerabilities on a pay-per-result basis. No vulnerabilities = no expenses: you only reward exploitable results.
Read also: Pentest vs Bug Bounty, which approach is right for you?
Yogosha has been an OffSec expert since 2015. Our dedicated platform is available SaaS or Self-Hosted, enabling you to pilot various tests to identify and centralize all your vulnerability management.
Identify your vulnerabilities, strengthen the overall security of your software, and stand out from the competition!
