Wibu-Systems Named Finalist of the Coveted Top 25 Most…

Wibu-Systems, a global leader in software protection, licensing, and security, is proud to announce that, during Black Hat USA 2026, it was named a finalist by Cyber Defense Magazine (CDM) in both the Top InfoSec Innovator Awards 2026, in the Embedded Security category, and the Top 25 Most Innovative Cybersecurity Companies in the World 2026. The recognition highlights CodeMeter's approach to one of the increasingly critical challenges in embedded cybersecurity: protecting software-defined value inside connected devices, industrial systems, and mission-critical applications against reverse engineering, tampering, unauthorized modification, and misuse throughout the product lifecycle.

"Wibu-Systems embodies three major features we judges look for with the potential to become winners: understanding tomorrow's threats, today, providing a cost-effective solution, and innovating in unexpected ways that can help mitigate cyber risk and get one step ahead of the next breach," said Gary S. Miliefsky, Publisher of Cyber Defense Magazine.

Protecting the Value Inside Software-Defined Products

As products become increasingly software driven, a growing share of their functionality, differentiation, and commercial value resides in software. Proprietary algorithms, AI models, application logic, cryptographic material, and specialized engineering know-how have become critical digital assets that need to remain protected even after a product leaves the manufacturer's development environment.

The challenge is particularly complex in embedded systems. Security mechanisms may have to operate on resource-constrained devices, in industrial controllers, in connected platforms, or in offline and air-gapped environments. At the same time, software must remain manageable throughout updates, maintenance, modernization, and changing deployment models.

Wibu-Systems addresses these requirements with CodeMeter, a modular technology combining software protection, secure licensing, integrity mechanisms, access control, and lifecycle governance. Its architecture can scale from low-memory embedded targets to complex entitlement infrastructures while supporting different combinations of hardware-based, device-bound, and cloud-based security.

"Embedded security is no longer only about protecting the device. It is also about protecting the software that drives its functionality, differentiation, and value," said Marcellus Buchheit, President & CEO of Wibu-Systems USA. "This finalist recognition highlights the growing need to secure software throughout its lifecycle and reinforces our commitment to helping manufacturers protect their intellectual property, maintain trust, and manage software securely across embedded, connected, and air-gapped environments."

A Modular Architecture for Different Embedded Environments

Several complementary technologies within the CodeMeter ecosystem address different aspects of embedded software security.

AxProtector CTP protects software at compile time through advanced obfuscation, control-flow encryption, integrity mechanisms, and other measures designed to make reverse engineering and unauthorized code modification significantly more difficult. Based on the LLVM toolchain, it supports C/C++, Rust, and Swift and can extend to further LLVM-based languages and processor architectures supported by LLVM.

CodeMoving adds another layer of protection by allowing selected sensitive functions to execute only within secure environments linked to hardware or cloud CodeMeter license containers. Critical logic therefore does not have to remain permanently exposed inside the application itself.

For hardware-backed security, CmDongles provide secure license containers and cryptographic trust anchors suited to demanding, offline, portable, or air-gapped applications. CmASIC integrates this hardware-based security approach directly into embedded device architectures, while CmActLicense with TPM support provides a device-bound software container strengthened by TPM-backed anchoring where available. CmCloud extends the same principles to connected environments, providing cloud-based entitlement control and supporting controlled access and lifecycle governance.

Together, these technologies allow manufacturers to select the security and licensing model appropriate for their architecture while working within a coherent CodeMeter ecosystem spanning embedded, industrial, connected, hybrid, and cloud-enabled environments.

Security Throughout the Product Lifecycle

The importance of embedded security is increasing as cybersecurity responsibilities extend beyond initial product development. Regulations such as the European Union's Cyber Resilience Act reinforce the need to address cybersecurity throughout the operational lifecycle of products with digital elements.

By combining protection and licensing technologies, CodeMeter helps manufacturers retain control over valuable software assets after deployment. It can support integrity protection, secure updates, differentiated access for different participants in the value chain, controlled software use, and new software-driven business models while accommodating online, offline, networked, hybrid, and air-gapped scenarios.

Final judging of the Top Infosec Innovator Awards continues through October 2026, with the winners to be announced online, in print, and during CyberDefenseCon 2026, taking place October 20-21, 2026, at The Ritz-Carlton in Orlando, Florida, USA, where a select group of winners will also have the opportunity to showcase their innovative solutions to leading global CISOs attending the invitation-only conference.