AdaCore + Security

Security in software has become a major concern. Every week we hear of hacks, intrusions and completely avoidable bugs being found in critical software systems, from cars to medical devices, cryptographic products, and the growing list of connected devices we use every day. Governments and regulators have come to realize that the current approaches for developing secure software systems are not working and have promised to intervene.

In addition to the obvious dangers and direct costs associated with software security breaches, organizations and developers face additional risks such as loss of reputation, litigation and liability (even at a personal level) and delay and cost in regulatory approval for their products.

Is your development team ready to meet these challenges?

“Security” in software cuts across all industries – not just traditional regulated applications like rail and avionics. Systems must be developed that can operate in a connected and openly malicious environment and, worse, in an environment where the attackers are smarter than you, and have more time and more money than you. Engineering in such an environment requires a world-class combination of people, languages, tools and processes.

A “Zero Tolerance” Approach to Software Development

History shows that a traditional “test and patch” approach is a first step but only a bandaid solution at best. What’s needed is a lean methodology focused on disciplines that aim to prevent all the defects and vulnerabilities. AdaCore technologies, such as SPARK Pro and CodePeer generate verifiable evidence that the job is done right, beyond the usual “tested it lots”. This approach also reduces risk and cost by reducing dependence on the most expensive activities such as integration test and (ultimately) failure of product in the field.

The Ada programming language has always placed an emphasis on software quality and security by its very design. Our approach takes that further, with the most advanced compilers and verification tools on the market.

Common Weakness Enumeration

CWE™ is a community-developed list of common software security weaknesses. It serves as a common language, a measuring stick for software security tools, and as a baseline for weakness identification, mitigation, and prevention efforts.” - mitre.org

Through the Ada language and AdaCore tools, a number of the most dangerous SANS Top 25 CWE can be detected and corrected early in the software development cycle before they become active vulnerabilities.


AdaCore Technologies for Cybersecurity

by Roderick Chapman and Yannick Moy

Download this free book that shows how AdaCore tools and technology can help address some of the most serious challenges associated with software and Security.

Cybersecurity Cover


Proven Solutions for Developing Advanced, Verifiably Secure Software Systems

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GNAT Pro Assurance

GNAT Pro Assurance is a complete Ada solution for projects with the most stringent security requirements, geared toward developers of security-critical applications that need to meet domain-specific standards such as DO-326A / ED-202A and DO-356A / ED-203A for airworthiness security.

The solution also helps developers track and mitigate vulnerabilities by providing vulnerability reports and Software Bills of Materials (SBOMs) to be incorporated into customers’ vulnerability management and reporting systems.

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SPARK Pro

SPARK 2014 offers the pre-eminent language design and static verification toolset for secure systems. Based on Ada’s strengths, SPARK adds a design discipline and a suite of static verification tools that prevent most security vulnerabilities once and for all. SPARK is designed to offer verification evidence that can be trusted by you, your customer and your regulator. SPARK can guarantee absence of some of the SANS Top 25 CWE (buffer overflows in particular). Messages related to CWE are specially identified for better review. SPARK can also detect all unintended data flows in your program. SPARK has been assessed by the U.S. National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) as being more secure than many other commonly used programming languages.

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GNAT Static Analysis Suite 

GNAT SAS helps developers gain a deep understanding of their code and build more reliable and secure software systems. It features an Ada source code analyzer that detects run-time and logic errors. It assesses potential bugs and vulnerabilities before program execution, serving as an automated peer reviewer, helping to find errors easily at any stage of the development life-cycle. It helps you improve the quality of your code and makes it easier for you to perform safety and/or security analysis.

Customer Projects: Security

  • Smartward

    SmartWard Pty Ltd Selects AdaCore Tools for Hospital Information System Development

    Smartward has adopted the GNAT Pro development environment, along with several complementary tools to implement a state-of-the-art patient care management system. Ada was chosen as the implementation language because of the benefits in reliability, safety, and security.

  • Rockwell Collins

    Rockwell Collins Develops SecureOne™ with SPARK Pro and GNAT Pro High-Security

    Rockwell Collins successfully used SPARK Pro and GNAT Pro High-Security in the development of the SecureOne™ Guard, a high assurance cross domain guard for military tactical systems.

  • EADS CASA

    EADS CASA Selects AdaCore Toolset for nEUROn Unmanned Aircraft

    EADS CASA is using the GNAT Pro High-Integrity Edition to implement the data exchange and air-to-ground data links systems for the nEUROn Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) demonstrator.

  • Secunet

    SPARK Pro Adopted by secunet

    To develop a robust multi-level security workstation, Secunet Security Networks chose the SPARK Pro development environment. The security station concurrently handles information of different security domains, maintains confidentiality and integrity of all processed data, and enforces Multiple Independent Levels of Security (MILS) on a single hardware platform.

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