Memory-safe programming languages pushed by Biden administration

Escalating security vulnerabilities in tech products and software have prompted the Office of the National Cyber Director to urge a shift to memory-safe programming languages, such as Java, Rust, and Python as part of the Biden administration's efforts to place more cybersecurity burden on technology firms rather than individuals and small businesses, reports The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.

Improved software security metrics are also being sought by the ONCD, which emphasized the importance of robust cybersecurity research and software engineering in achieving such an effort. "To reduce the attack surface in cyberspace, we must eliminate entire classes of vulnerabilities at-scale, by securing the building blocks of cyberspace," said National Cyber Director Harry Coker. Such a report from the ONCD has received the support of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, SAP, and Honeywell. "Migrating to memory-safe code, to be clear, could become a multi-decade effort depending on the size of a company, and requires the attention and support of all," noted a senior administration official.