The role of trustworthy and secure software in times of COVID-19

At a time when the pandemic is disrupting businesses, causing massive unemployment, and changing everyone’s lives, Wibu-Systems, the cybersecurity vendor on a mission to protect the digital assets of enterprises around the globe, is offering a positive outlook, restoring hope, and recommending a laser-focused approach as we are entering into the second quarter of 2020.

The Coronavirus effect has raised new questions about the time horizon, modalities, and investments needed to achieve a global economic recovery once the health emergency is over. The magnitude of the current crisis is also calling into question the very priorities and objectives that governments and businesses had set before the world’s lockdown started and is challenging the feasibility of ongoing projects.

Nevertheless, the central role of software in these months of businesses scrambling to reorganize and reinvent themselves is undeniable, as is the need to secure digital assets outside of their companies’ borders, now that smart working has become an essential reality for everyone. From a broader perspective, it is technology as a whole that is called to the forefront to assist the medical-scientific advances needed to solve the current pandemic and safeguard us from its potential resurgence. Whether it is Big Data analysis to study the spread of the disease, software to operate the ICU machines that keep the worst affected patients alive, or genetic engineering applications to build humanity’s answer to the virus, the health and the life sciences sectors are undeniably pervaded by "code".

The security of the firmware that operates medical devices, of patients’ and citizens’ data, and of the software that allows biologists, virologists, and healthcare professionals to carry out their essential work, is under a spotlight. Over the years, Wibu-Systems has collaborated with many companies operating in the medical field, preserving the integrity of the data and code generated and managed by them from piracy, reverse engineering, and tampering. Companies such as Fritz Stephan, committed to producing much-needed emergency ventilators, Agfa HealthCare and United Imaging, active in the field of computerized image management, B.Braun, dedicated amongst others to the production of disinfectants and protective equipment, custo med, focused on connected and customized cardiology solutions, Agilent, with its wide array of clinical diagnostics solutions, or Metrohm, with its peerless high-precision instruments for chemical analysis, have already chosen to use protection technologies such as CodeMeter to defend both their know-how and the confidential information they manage.

Oliver Winzenried, CEO and founder of Wibu-Systems, remains optimistic about what the future holds. "The scale of this global crisis has taken the world by surprise, but it is also helping us stay united and focused on the priorities that really matter the most and that may inspire us to create a better future for all. In spite of social distancing, people are staying connected with the aid of telecommunications, and everybody is showing a genuine sense of responsibility. Many companies are also reviewing their production lines and contributing generously in an act of solidarity. I remain convinced that the economic recovery will be epoch-making, its repercussions will be felt in every corner of the planet, and the digital transformation will prove essential to keep us healthy and fulfilled."