Excellence in Software Protection, Licensing, and Cybersecurity

What does it mean for industrial software to remain trusted over time?Max Moser of VDMA and Oliver Winzenried, CEO and Founder of Wibu-Systems, discuss the growing importance of software in modern manufacturing—and the cybersecurity responsibilities that come with it.Their conversation covers trusted software sources, open-source dependencies, Cyber Resilience Act responsibilities across complex product architectures and supply chains, flexible licensing, software integrity, secure updates, and the concept of renewable security.Oliver also explains one of the most significant technological transitions ahead: migrating industrial licensing and security infrastructures toward post-quantum cryptography without disrupting millions of deployed systems.

What does the Cyber Resilience Act mean in practice for companies developing software, connected devices, and industrial automation products?In this conversation, Nisveta Sivro, Cybersecurity Manager, Schneider Electric Automation and Natalja Kleiner, Senior Project Manager Research Projects of Wibu-Systems, discuss how CRA requirements affect the complete product lifecycle, from secure-by-design development and vulnerability handling to updates, access control, documentation, and incident response.They also explore why compliance cannot be achieved by individual departments or companies working alone, and how initiatives such as ENFORCERS can connect technical tools, processes, manufacturers, policymakers, associations, and standardization bodies into a cooperative cybersecurity ecosystem.Co-funded by the European Union, under the Grant Agreement No. 101249745, the project is supported by the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre.Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre. Neither the European Union nor the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre can be held responsible for them.#eu #cybersecurity #dep

How will industrial licensing evolve as more value moves from hardware into software?Dieter Hess, CEO of CODESYS, and Stefan Bamberg, Director Sales and Key Account Management at Wibu-Systems, discuss the changing economics and architecture of industrial automation.The conversation explores software monetization, hardware independence, perpetual and feature-on-demand licensing, usage-based models, subscriptions, cloud and network licensing, air-gapped production environments, and the rise of virtual PLCs.As control technology becomes increasingly software-defined and multiple virtual controllers can run on shared infrastructure, licensing takes on a new role: managing not only how software is sold, but also how virtual industrial resources are deployed, counted, and monetized.

Softwarelizenzierung wirkt oft wie ein Randthema: eine Maschine ist bereits auf dem Weg nach Asien, die Software wurde in letzter Minute fertiggestellt und niemand hat geklärt, wie sich Know-how schützen und die Nutzung zuverlässig kontrollieren lässt. In dieser Folge des Industrial Security Talk erläutert Stefan Bamberg, Director Sales bei Wibu-Systems, warum Lizenzierung und Cybersicherheit heute untrennbar zusammengehören und in derselben Architekturbetrachtung gedacht werden müssen. Von Security-by-Design und dem Cyber Resilience Act über Feature-on-Demand und Pay-per-Use bis hin zu KI-gestützten Angriffen und Post-Quantum-Kryptografie zeigt das Gespräch, wie Industrieunternehmen ihr geistiges Eigentum schützen, Manipulationen verhindern und softwaredefinierte Funktionen in sichere digitale Geschäftsmodelle überführen können. Ein praxisnahes und offenes Gespräch für alle, die Lizenzierung noch immer als rein kommerzielles Detail betrachten. 🎧 Quellenangaben & HerkunftDie Folge wurde erstmals bei ⁠„Industrial Security Talk“⁠ ausgestrahlt und wird hier mit Genehmigung erneut veröffentlicht. Redaktionelles Konzept und Originalproduktion: Industrial Security Talk, in Zusammenarbeit mit Wibu-Systems. 📄 Weiterführende InformationenLaden Sie unsere Infografik ⁠„Umsetzung der Cyber Resilience Act Compliance für digitale Produkte“⁠ herunter und erfahren Sie, wie Softwareschutz- und Lizenzierung Versionskontrolle, Zugriffsmanagement, Update-Management und Korrekturmaßnahmen über den gesamten Produktlebenszyklus von Produkten mit digitalen Elementen hinweg ermöglichen.

Subscription & Licensing Models as Trust and Revenue InfrastructureLicensing has moved. It no longer sits at the edge of the software business model as a commercial wrapper. It now operates as an enforcement layer, the point at which control, entitlement, and runtime behavior are defined and executed.In this episode, originally produced by the ⁠The Quantum Space⁠, we examine how licensing functions as infrastructure. Not just as a mechanism for monetization, but as a system that determines who can access software, under what conditions, and for how long, across devices, environments, and increasingly complex lifecycle requirements.The shift to subscription and usage-based models is often framed as commercial innovation. In practice, it introduces long-term dependency on licensing and entitlement systems that must operate reliably, securely, and at scale. That pressure is now being reinforced by regulatory frameworks such as the Cyber Resilience Act and NIS2, which bring new expectations around traceability, integrity, and lifecycle accountability.Joining the discussion is Stefan Bamberg, Director Sales and Key Account Management at Wibu-Systems. With more than a decade of experience in software protection and licensing across industrial and embedded environments, he brings a practical view of how licensing systems are implemented, where they fail, and what it takes to make them operate as part of a broader trust architecture.The conversation moves from business model theory into operational reality. It explores the transition from product ownership to controlled access, the growing dependency on provider-managed infrastructure, and the architectural challenges of delivering consistent licensing across hardware, software, and cloud environments.We also examine the commercial dimension. Licensing systems are often underestimated internally, both in complexity and cost. Yet evidence from industry deployments shows that when implemented properly, licensing infrastructure can deliver measurable returns, through revenue protection, operational efficiency, and new pricing models.🎧 Credits & originThis episode was first aired on ⁠⁠The Quantum Space Podcast⁠⁠ – Innovating Trust and is republished here with authorization. Editorial concept and original production by The Quantum Space, in collaboration with Wibu-Systems.📄 Further reading⁠Download our white paper⁠: The Commercial Case for CodeMeter, a detailed analysis of ROI, licensing architecture, and the financial impact of effective software protection.

Quantum computing is no longer a theoretical threat – It’s a strategic reality.In this episode, originally produced by ⁠The Quantum Space⁠, we dive into one of Europe’s most pressing digital challenges: how to secure trust, sovereignty, and competitiveness in the post-quantum era.Host Anna Keller speaks with Steve Atkins, Publisher and Editor of The Quantum Space and co-author together with Wibu-Systems of the whitepaper ⁠Sovereign by Design: How Europe Can Secure Its Digital Future in the Post-Quantum Age⁠. The conversation builds on the high-level expert roundtable moderated by Atkins at ⁠Wibu-Systems’ INNO DAYS⁠, bringing together voices from academia, semiconductor manufacturing, enterprise software, and cybersecurity.Together, they explore:Why the transition to ⁠post-quantum cryptography (PQC)⁠ is a today problem, not a future oneThe real risks behind “harvest now, decrypt later” attacks and long-term data exposureEurope’s coordinated roadmap for PQC migration, and what it means for industryDigital sovereignty as more than regulation: a combination of technology, governance, and executionWhy secure software protection and licensing are foundational to Europe’s innovation economyHow regulation such as the Cyber Resilience Act can become a competitive advantage, or a bottleneckThe episode also features insights from the INNO DAYS roundtable, including perspectives from ⁠Karlsruhe Institute of Technology⁠, ⁠Infineon Technologies⁠, ⁠SAP⁠, and Wibu-Systems, highlighting how post-quantum readiness, secure licensing, and trusted execution environments intersect in real industrial deployments.This episode reframes quantum security not just as a cybersecurity challenge, but as a core pillar of Europe’s digital and economic sovereignty, where trust is not promised, but engineered.🎧 Credits & originThis episode was first aired on ⁠The Quantum Space Podcast⁠ – Innovating Trust and is republished here with authorization. Editorial concept and original production by The Quantum Space, in collaboration with Wibu-Systems.📄 Further readingThe whitepaper ⁠Sovereign by Design: How Europe Can Secure Its Digital Future in the Post-Quantum Age⁠ is available for free via The Quantum Space.

Künstliche Intelligenz verändert die Innovationsprozesse von Unternehmen – aber nur, wenn sie sicher ist. In diesem Gespräch erklärt Stefan Bamberg, Director Sales and Key Account Management bei Wibu-Systems, wie Schutz, Lizenzierung und Compliance das Fundament für vertrauenswürdige KI und nachhaltige Geschäftsmodelle bilden.Highlights:Die doppelte Herausforderung der KI: intelligentere Systeme und wachsende AngriffsflächenSchutz von Code, KI-Modellen und Trainingsdaten mit AxProtector PythonNeue Geschäftsmodelle durch verschlüsselte LizenzierungWie der EU Cyber Resilience Act die Sicherheitsanforderungen für Produkte neu definiertDie Rolle von CodeMeter bei der Sicherstellung von Vertraulichkeit, Integrität und NachverfolgbarkeitEtablierung von Sicherheitsprozessen und die Befähigung eines Security Champions im UnternehmenDie Bedeutung sicherer Schlüsselspeicherung, Hardwareanker und sicherer BereitstellungVorbereitung auf das Post-Quantum-Zeitalter mit zukunftssicheren kryptografischen GrundlagenHören Sie rein und erfahren Sie, wie Wibu-Systems Schutz, Lizenzierung und Cybersicherheit zu einer ganzheitlichen Strategie verbindet – und Hersteller befähigt, im Zeitalter von KI, Automatisierung und digitalem Vertrauen mit Zuversicht zu innovieren.

In this joint interview, SAP and Wibu-Systems explain how entitlement management and licensing protection work hand-in-hand to empower ISVs and device manufacturers.Key takeaways include:Why SAP Entitlement Management (EMS) is central to SAP’s Suite-as-a-Service strategy and the quote-to-cash process.How EMS defines rights and entitlements — from licenses and maintenance to warranties and subscriptions — with unique flexibility.How CodeMeter complements EMS by enforcing entitlements on the end-user side, protecting against piracy, tampering, and reverse engineering.Why the automation industry benefits from EMS + CodeMeter with secure licensing in fully isolated environments.How the combined system supports compliance with the upcoming EU Cyber Resilience Act, addressing integrity, authentication, data protection, and license traceability.Together, SAP and Wibu-Systems deliver a seamless, end-to-end entitlement and licensing solution, bridging sales, provisioning, and fulfillment — while safeguarding digital products for a secure future.