Open Source Security

It is often claimed that open source software is intrinsically more secure than closed source or proprietary software. Others argue that it is not, and it is expected this debate will continue for some time to come. The availability of source code provides both attackers and defenders opportunities to study code in detail and identify software vulnerabilities.

On the other hand, closed source software forces users to accept only the level of security diligence that the vendor chooses to provide. This paper discusses ways in which we can take advantage of the nature of open source software with regard to IT security. We also outline a number of best practices in open source software security that are recommended by the open source community, along with important points on using open source products safely within the organisation.

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