Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) in cybersecurity is a computer hardware or software product made for nearly any user because it is available to the general public for purchase. COTS products are designed to be very user friendly. A typical example of a COTS product is Microsoft Office. COTS products are available off-the-shelf and do not require custom development before installation.
Advantages of COTS Software
COTS software usually enjoys the following benefits:
- fully supported by the vendor
- 3rd party integrators can help you train on the product or implement the solution because it is universally available to a large customer base
- a predictable hardware or software life-cycle by a stable well-funded software company
- longevity of use
Disadvantages of Custom Written Software
In comparison to COTS software solutions, some SMBs attempt to write their own specific software solutions to solve specific problems they face. Now, this may be the only way to solve a problem critical to your SMB. If that’s the case, perhaps go for it. However, know the following risks:
- Less predictable longevity for the solution under development
- Difficulty supporting a custom solution that doesn’t have wide industry adoption
- The risk that developer(s) go in another direction and stop developing your product
- Lack of 3rd party security testing and assessments may put your solution at risk of hacking or compromise or logic flaws
Source: Techopedia
Additional Reading: Using COTS Software To Model Development And Logistics
Related Terms: Closed Source Software, Open Source Software, Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), Software End-of-Life (EOL) and End-of-Support (EOS)