Software Assurance: Five Essential Considerations for Acquisition Officials
Mary L Polydys, Stan Wisseman · 2007
Software Assurance (SwA) is a key element of national security; it is critical because dramatic increases in business and mission risks are attributable to exploitable software. A recent Chief Information Office (CIO) Executive Council poll indicated that the top two most important attributes of software are reliable software that functions as promised and software free from security vulnerabilities and malicious code. The acquisition process can be leveraged to achieve these important attributes. As part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Defense (DoD) SwA initiative, a working group developed a guide, Software Assurance in Acquisition: Mitigating Risks to the Enterprise, for acquisition officials on how to incorporate SwA considerations in key decisions throughout the acquisition process.