Mandatory Professional License for Software DesignersAbstract: Given the broad impact and real-time security concerns of some software applications, it seems reasonable to regulate who will write this critical software . Numerous other human security professions require their professionals to be licensed. Software professionals are currently not licensed. However, because software has far-reaching and potentially disastrous effects, all software designers should also be professionally licensed in some capacity. Would you think twice about flying on a commercial airliner if you knew that anyone right off the street could apply to fly the jet you sit on? Would you be worried about going to a doctor who never went to medical school, even if he assures you that he "knows what he's doing"? And think about how you feel driving next to a tractor barreling down the highway. Would you be more nervous if you knew that no training was required to jump behind the wheel of that big truck? Now consider how you feel about the fact that the man who wrote the routines to allow you to withdraw $60 from your ATM might be some uneducated hacker. The lady who wrote part of the autopilot routine for the 747 you fly may have cheated in all of her computer science classes and gotten the job without any professional certification. And the software that's supposed to save your new novel to disk could have been written by any crazy person who knows a little C++. In addition to altruistic concerns for public welfare in safety-critical jobs and applications, the threat of lawsuits and interest in protecting the industry's reputation drives many professions to establish licensing and training programs. The fact is that airlines regulate who can fly commercial airplanes. Doctors must attend medical school, and large truck drivers must also pass certification programs. However, no license is currently required for software developers, even those who program security-critical applications. Because software has such far-reaching effects and the real potential to do harm if written poorly, software professionals should also be empowered. This license should ensure that the IT professional has the necessary knowledge and proper ethics to do his job well. Part of the problem is that the software is somewhat invisible and sneaks in all sorts of places, often as an aid to those closely involved. -authorized professions.