Cybersecurity Regulations and Software Resilience: Strengthening Awareness and Societal Stability

The societal effects of cybersecurity are widely discussed, but it remains less clear how software security regulations specifically contribute to building a resilient society, particularly in relation to Sustainable Development Goals 5 (Gender Equality), 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). This study investigates this connection by examining key EU and U.S. strategies through comparative legal analysis, software development (SDLC) case studies, and a normative–sociological lens. Our findings reveal that major regulations—such as the EU’s Cyber Resilience Act and the U.S. SBOM rules—are not merely reactive, but proactively embed resilience as a fundamental mode of operation. This approach structurally reallocates digital risks from users to manufacturers, reframing software security from a matter of compliance to one of social fairness and institutional trust. We conclude that integrating ‘resilience by design’ into technology rules is more than a technical fix; it is a mechanism that makes digital access fairer and better protects vulnerable populations, enabling technology and society to advance cohesively.