[Cryptography] How programming language design can help us write secure crypto code

[ianG]

On 3/11/2015 13:10 pm, Brian Gladman wrote:
> I am sorry for all this background, but I think it may help in making my
> main point - that there is a big paradox in the reactions of the safety
> and security critical communities to the role of programming language
> choice in building high integrity systems.


If I may be so bold, there is no paradox.  The reason for the difference 
in approach is founded in information.

In the safety critical world, we have pretty much universal agreement on 
what is an unsafe thing and what is a safe thing.

In contrast, in the information security world, we have dozens or even 
hundreds of tribes touting one view of security in conflict with 
another.  There is no agreement, and there is no easy way to find 
agreement, on what means "Secure" and what means "Insecure".

At least, at the level that is achieved by the safety people.

Hence... it becomes a battleground of "my view of what security means." 
  This often but not always relates to what I'm selling today.  Either 
way, given the uncertainty, it is appropriate for me to use any argument 
I can to push my view.  And if I like C (or I have a 1mloc code base) 
then C can be written securely, and you'd be daft not to believe me.



iang

ps; great post!