New CISA and NSA Guidelines: Enhancing Software Security with Memory-Safe Languages

TL;DR

CISA and NSA have released joint guidelines on adopting memory-safe languages to mitigate software vulnerabilities, enhancing security in modern software development.

Main Content

Today, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), in partnership with the National Security Agency (NSA), released a comprehensive guide on reducing memory-related vulnerabilities in modern software development ¹. This initiative underscores the critical importance of addressing memory safety vulnerabilities, which pose significant risks to national security and critical infrastructure.

Understanding Memory Safety Vulnerabilities

Memory safety vulnerabilities are a class of software flaws that can be exploited to compromise systems. These vulnerabilities arise from improper memory management, leading to issues such as buffer overflows, use-after-free errors, and uninitialized memory access. Adopting memory-safe languages (MSLs) offers a robust solution to these problems. MSLs provide built-in safeguards that enhance security by design, making them a critical component in modern software development.

The Role of Memory-Safe Languages

CISA’s Secure by Design program advocates for integrating proactive security measures throughout the software development lifecycle. Memory-safe languages are central to this approach. By incorporating MSLs, organizations can significantly reduce exploitable flaws before products reach end-users, thereby enhancing national security and resilience.

Key Challenges and Practical Approaches

The joint guide outlines several key challenges organizations may face when adopting MSLs. These include:

• Legacy Systems: Transitioning legacy systems to MSLs can be complex and resource-intensive.
• Performance Concerns: There may be concerns about the performance implications of switching to MSLs.
• Skill Gaps: Developers may require additional training to effectively use MSLs.

To address these challenges, the guide offers practical approaches, such as:

• Incremental Adoption: Gradually integrating MSLs into existing systems.
• Performance Optimization: Leveraging modern techniques to ensure that MSLs do not compromise performance.
• Training and Education: Investing in developer training to bridge skill gaps.

Important Considerations for Transition

For organizations seeking to transition toward more secure software development practices, the guide highlights important considerations:

• Risk Assessment: Evaluating the risks associated with current systems and prioritizing the adoption of MSLs based on risk levels.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Involving all relevant stakeholders in the transition process to ensure smooth implementation.
• Continuous Monitoring: Regularly monitoring and updating security practices to keep up with evolving threats.

Encouragement for Adoption

Organizations in academia, the U.S. government, and private industry are encouraged to review this guidance and support the adoption of MSLs. In addition to the current guide, CISA and the NSA previously released The Case for Memory Safe Roadmaps ², which provides further insights into memory safety.

Additional Resources

To learn more about memory safety, visit Secure by Design on CISA.gov ³.

Please share your thoughts with us via our anonymous CISA Product Feedback Survey ⁴; we welcome your feedback.

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Conclusion

The new guidelines from CISA and NSA provide a roadmap for enhancing software security through the adoption of memory-safe languages. By addressing memory safety vulnerabilities, organizations can significantly improve the security and resilience of their software systems, contributing to national security and critical infrastructure protection.

References

1. “Memory Safe Languages: Reducing Vulnerabilities in Modern Software Development” (2025). “Memory Safe Languages: Reducing Vulnerabilities in Modern Software Development”. CISA.gov. Retrieved 2025-06-24. ↩︎

2. “The Case for Memory Safe Roadmaps” (2025). “The Case for Memory Safe Roadmaps”. CISA.gov. Retrieved 2025-06-24. ↩︎

3. “Secure by Design” (2025). “Secure by Design”. CISA.gov. Retrieved 2025-06-24. ↩︎

4. “CISA Product Feedback Survey” (2025). “CISA Product Feedback Survey”. CISA.gov. Retrieved 2025-06-24. ↩︎

5. “New Guidance Released for Reducing Memory-Related Vulnerabilities” (2025). “New Guidance Released for Reducing Memory-Related Vulnerabilities”. CISA.gov. Retrieved 2025-06-24. ↩︎