Re: [MLUG] Study: Open source poses security risks (???)

[Mark Haidekker <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

And how much did a certain Redmont-based company pay for this assessment?

Mark



On Wednesday 05 June 2002 05:37 pm, you wrote:
> The article below sounds like the same old song and dance to me.  The
> problem, as I see it, is that *software* poses risks.  Of course
> open-source poses security risks, but so does proprietary software (viz.,
> most any M$ product).  What about in-house products written under tight
> security and supervision?  Well, even if the coding team can get past the
> occasional disgruntled employee, they have the problem of debugging.
> It's basically impossible to know that there are no security holes in a
> software product.  Therefore, open source is best because it is the most
> thoroughly tested and examined code available.  One man's opinion.
> --Mike
>
> P.S.  Let's not quote this *whole* thing in every reply!!  ;-)
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> http://zdnet.com.com/2102-1104-929669.html
>
> ZDNet (UK)
> May 31, 2002
>
> Study: Open source poses security risks
>
> By Matthew Broersma
>
> A conservative U.S. think tank suggests in an upcoming report that
> open-source software is inherently less secure than proprietary software,
> and warns governments against relying on it for national security.
>
> The white paper, Opening the Open Source Debate, from the Alexis de
> Tocqueville Institution (ADTI) will suggest that open source opens the
> gates to hackers and terrorists.
>
> "Terrorists trying to hack or disrupt U.S. computer networks might find it
> easier if the federal government attempts to switch to 'open source' as
> some groups propose," ADTI said in a statement released ahead of the
> report.
>
> Open-source software is freely available for distribution and
> modification, as long as the modified software is itself available under
> open-source terms. The Linux operating system is the best-known example of
> open source, having become popular in the Web server market because of its
> stability and low cost.
>
> Many researchers have also suggested that since a large community
> contributes to and scrutinizes open-source code, security holes are less
> likely to occur than in proprietary software, and can be caught and fixed
> more quickly.
>
> The ADTI white paper, to be released next week, will take the opposite
> line, outlining "how open source might facilitate efforts to disrupt or
> sabotage electronic commerce, air traffic control or even sensitive
> surveillance systems," the institute said.
>
> "Computer systems are the backbone to U.S. national security," said ADTI
> Chairman Gregory Fossedal. "Before the Pentagon and other federal agencies
> make uninformed decisions to alter the very foundation of computer
> security, they should study the potential consequences carefully."
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