Tech giants team up for secure software

A technology industry group has launched with the aim to increase the trust in IT products and services.

The five founding members of the body known as the Software Assurance Forum for Excellence in Code (SAFECode) - EMC, Juniper Networks, Microsoft, SAP and Symantec - will try to identify and promote best practices within the IT industry for developing and delivering more secure and reliable software, hardware and services.

Speaking at the RSA Conference Europe 2007, Paul Kurtz, executive director of SAFECode, said: "Any IT vendor or communications company is welcome to join... We have a good core section now but we need more members."

According to SAFECode, while individual companies have implemented effective methods to develop and deliver more reliable and secure software, hardware and services - there has been no co-ordinated, industry-led effort to build on this work and promote best practices to advance software assurance more broadly.

The group plans to do this by promoting best practices among vendors and customers and encouraging changes to university curriculums. The group will also lobby government to improve software quality and share information equally between all members.