Open Source is currently being recognized by more organizations than ever before for its ability to give rise to flexible, cost-effective and exceptionally secure software and technologies. Over 75% of organizations worldwide are now contributing to and consuming open-source software and products. . The open-source community is expected to continue to grow and thrive in the coming years, which will further increase the overall credibility of Open Source and enhance the various benefits that open-source options are able to offer businesses and individuals alike. This article will explore why choosing an open-source email security solution can offer key advantages over proprietary alternatives including superior security, reliability, resiliency, flexibility and cost-efficiency. The Open Source Philosophy The term “Open Source” refers to software, products, projects or initiatives that are developed and designed to be highly transparent and publicly accessible. That being said, the true meaning of the term “open source” extends far beyond its basic definition. Open source is a philosophy that emphasizes innovation through collaboration. Ideas and initiatives are freely accessible to everyone, encouraging community involvement and tapping into worldwide talent. Products created using the open-source development model are able to be reviewed, modified and shared by experts worldwide. The driving force behind open-source development is the motivation to create software and solutions that are as effective as possible at serving a specific purpose, often benefiting the global community in the process. Open-source software and products are held to a higher standard than proprietary alternatives due to the fact that customers can view open-source code and access information about development methodology. This community-powered, transparent approach fosters honesty and genuinely high product quality as a competitive advantage. A Brief History of Open Source Although Open Source is nowrecognized as superior to proprietary development in many regards, it was not until the late 1990s that open-source software became fairly mainstream. In prior years, individuals had no choice but to utilize proprietary software sold by companies that provided no insight into their software development and the source code of their products. The concept of free software was introduced with the creation of the GNU project in 1983, and flourished with the release of the General Public Licence (GPL) in 1989. At this point, free software and the idea of open-source development lacked credibility and were quickly dismissed by proprietary vendors who felt threatened by the emerging movement. This further propagated the idea that Open Source was risky and unprofessional. In the decade following the creation of the GPL, a series of high-profile events led to a significant increase in the professionalization and the public acceptance of free and open-source software. In 1999, the IPOs of Red Hat and VA Linux had massive gains in share price on their opening days as publicly traded companies, a testament to the fact that Open Source was going commercial and that open-source technology had the potential to offer businesses various benefits in terms of product quality, security, flexibility and cost-effectiveness that proprietary technology could not match. In 1999, IBM announced that it was investing $1 billion in the development of Linux, convincing traditional enterprise users that switching to the open-source operating system was far less risky than they had previously assumed. The following year, Sun Microsystems created the OpenOffice project, releasing the source code to its cross-platform office suite, StarOffice. The combination of the market credibility that tech giants like IBM and Sun Microsystems gave Open Source, the massive Silicon Valley funding of open-source projects and the attention that Wall Street brought to relatively new open-source companies resulted in the widespread embrace of the open-sourcedevelopment model and the prevalence of Open Source and Linux in the tech industry today. What Are the Advantages of Choosing Open Source over Proprietary? Because of the availability and transparency of open-source code, open-source products can be engineered to achieve superior levels of quality, reliability and security over a longer duration of time than projects that do not utilize the open-source development model. Here is a brief summary of some of the key advantages associated with choosing Open Source. Increased Security The visibility of open-source code allows developers and engineers to freely access open-source projects. As a result, IT and security experts worldwide are able to review and improve upon open-source programs. Because open-source products are thoroughly reviewed by the community both as they are being developed and while they are in use, vulnerabilities are identified and corrected very rapidly. As the open-source community continues to grow, open-source development is becoming increasingly secure. Of the 750 million lines of open-source code that are currently part of the Coverity Scan database, only 1.1 million defects have been identified and 650,000 have already been addressed. Furthermore, because the source code of open-source software is easily accessible, customers have the ability to apply their own patches. This often results in exceptionally secure products, with much fewer flaws and bugs than proprietary alternatives on average. Superior Product Quality Validated by the Community Open Source is highly dependent on the principles of communication and collaboration. This encourages active discussion surrounding the development of new features and the resolution of problems. Open Source fosters rapid innovation as a competitive advantage, and the high standards of the community result in extremely high quality products. In a recent survey conducted by the Linux Foundation, 49% of companies utilizing open-source programs felt that Open Source ensures a high levelof quality and frequent releases of code to the community. Open-source projects and programs are under constant scrutiny from experts worldwide, which serves as continuous validation that measures such as performance and security are optimal. Community Values Foster Innovation & Problem Solving The community that surrounds open source development has much more to offer in regard to innovation and problem solving than small, private groups working on proprietary projects do. Open-source developers aim to create products that are as effective and useful to the community as possible, while proprietary products are often developed with the main goal of benefiting the vendor. Fifty-seven percent of businesses currently running open-source programs identify open-source culture within the company as the most significant measure of a program’s success. In general, the open-source community is an inclusive environment that values diverse perspectives and ideas. This community-powered approach to development fosters high levels of innovation and results in exceptional software and technology. Freedom & Flexibility Both the open-source community and its programs and projects are diverse and distributed, so by choosing open-source options individuals and enterprises avoid the risk of vendor lock-in or holding orphaned software that a proprietary vendor has abandoned. Open-source products and solutions are also highly scalable and customizable, so they can often be adjusted relatively easily and cost-effectively to meet businesses’ specific and evolving needs. Cost-Efficiency Open-source development is significantly more cost-effective than proprietary development. Because opacity does not exist in Open Source, code is shared and utilized by developers and engineers around the world, thus keeping the cost of open-source development to a minimum. In addition, proprietary software requires expensive licensing fees. This automatically drives the prices of proprietary technology up, while open-source products areoften able to offer far more competitive pricing. According to Red Hat’s The State of Enterprise Open Source report, 33% of businesses worldwide feel that lower total cost of ownership is a key benefit associated with choosing open-source technologies and solutions. What Are the Potential Drawbacks of Choosing Open Source over Proprietary? There are relatively few downsides associated with choosing open-source software or products over proprietary options. However, there are a few potential drawbacks that should be considered. Quality Support Is Not a Given Since the scope of open-source initiatives is usually much broader than that of proprietary projects, it can sometimes be difficult to find quality customer support. Before investing in an open-source product or technology, be sure to adequately research the vendor and the support they provide. Many open-source companies do offer outstanding customer support. Product Use Is Not Always Easy to Master Open-source products can offer a large assortment of features and abilities and, as a result, can sometimes be a bit difficult to use and master at first. In comparison, closed-source technology is often focused on a narrower market of end users, and can be designed to be more user-friendly to a specific segment of the population. Also, consumers of proprietary technology are often more concerned with functionality and ease-of-use than how those factors are accomplished. In general, it is usually better to invest some time in familiarizing yourself with an open-source product (many of which are quite easy to use) than to settle for a closed-source alternative simply for its apparent convenience. Increased Risk In certain cases, choosing Open Source can be a bit more risky than settling for commercial, proprietary options. Some open-source software vendors are small and relatively nimble companies, while others are large and financially strong. A growing number of large corporations are recognizing the many benefits of adopting Open Source andmany are acquiring smaller open-source vendors. IBM recently announced its purchase of RedHat for $34 billion, a decision that serves as direct validation of the credibility associated with Open Source. Choosing a smaller open-source vendor is not always associated with increased risk; however, as with any important decision, it is critical to do adequate research before making a commitment. What Are the Benefits of Choosing an Open-Source Operating System Like Linux? Similar to open-source products and open-source software, open-source operating systems like Linux offer inherent advantages because of the way in which they are designed and maintained. Thus, solutions and technology that run on Linux can be crafted to offer a higher level of security, stability, customization and compatibility than technology that runs on a proprietary operating system. As more people continue to become aware of the benefits of Open Source, the net market share of Open Source products and operating systems is expected to increase. Because there are so many variations of Linux across various types of technology, it is impossible to determine a figure that accurately represents the current net market share for Linux. However, Linux is consistently the most used operating system for IoT and smart devices. Here is a summary of two prominent advantages that Linux users enjoy: Linux is Inherently Secure Because Linux is composed of open source technology, security flaws are recognized and eliminated before they become an issue for the public. In the words of Linux creator Linus Torvalds, “Given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow”. Because of the intense review that Linux is continuously undergoing, fewer viruses and worms are written to attack Linux programs. In comparison, opaque proprietary alternatives like Microsoft Windows are relatively easy targets for malicious coders, making these operating systems likely victims of malware and viruses. Linux also offers rock-solid stability, which the operating systeminherited from its predecessor Unix. Linux Is Highly Customizable Linux has been customized by various distributions to create diverse programs and applications. Third parties are often able to further customize distributions’ programs to meet companies’ evolving needs more specifically. The high level of customization that is possible within all Linux distributions makes Linux compatible with a wide array of software, applications and solutions. Linux is harmonious with any network and can be supported by numerous hardware platforms through basic levels of customization. What Are the Advantages of Choosing an Open-Source Email Security Solution? The advantages that Open Source offers in regard to both performance and security are magnified in open-source solutions that run on an open-source OS like Linux. Provided that an email security solution is well-designed and optimally engineered to combat advanced and emerging threats like spear phishing and zero-day attacks, open-source technology provides an optimal foundation on which exceptional levels of security and dependability can be achieved. Guardian Digital EnGarde Cloud Email Security utilizes a hardened version of Linux and entirely open-source software to provide intuitive real-time protection against the most sophisticated and evasive threats. EnGarde leverages resources and intelligence from the vibrant, global open-source community, and employs the most advanced security and productivity features available including Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and the highest levels of encryption. Through a combination of an innovative open-source design, expert engineering and ongoing system monitoring, maintenance and support, EnGarde provides organizations with the proactive, multi-layered email security defenses and real-time cybersecurity business insights required to make email safe for business in this modern digital threat environment. Guardian Digital’s Contributions to the Open-Source Community: Guardian Digital recognizes that it has benefited immensely from Open Source, and desires to give back to a community that has provided incredible intelligence and unwavering support. For this reason, Guardian Digital sponsors and maintains LinuxSecurity.com . For the past 25 years, the site has been a go-to resource for the Linux community which provides the latest open-source news, advisories, updates and information. Guardian Digital has also contributed to or spearheaded a selection of other open-source projects , including EnGarde Secure Linux and Apache SpamAssassin. This article was originally published on the Guardian Digital Blog. . Explore the benefits of open-source email protection tools compared to proprietary alternatives, emphasizing both security and affordability.. Open Source Email Security, Cost-Effective Solutions, Community Driven Technology. . Brittany Day
Linux is arguably software developers’ favorite OS. Over 14,000 contributors have invested countless hours in developing the Linux Kernel. With Linux becoming increasingly popular due to its security and flexibility, developers who are interested in artificial intelligence (AI) may want to explore the possibilities within the Linux environment. . AI can easily be tagged as the future of technology, even if we already see it at work today. Virtual assistants such as Siri for Apple, Cortana for Microsoft, and Alexa for Amazon, are just some of the real-world examples of AI at work. The healthcare industry also uses AI in health monitoring, prescription management, drug discovery, and clinical documentation. Marketing benefits from AI as well, particularly in discovering trends, boosting revenue, and demand forecasting. As AI becomes more and more ingrained in our daily lives through consumer products, we can’t help but be concerned that proprietary software will comprise the market. And we are not talking about a million-dollar market, but a bigger one that may reach US$118.6 billion by 2025 . Many industries and end-users would thus benefit from more open-source AI projects and tools for developers’ use. That would save tons of individuals and companies money to build their own AI-powered apps. In this post, we explore five open-source AI projects or tools that are compatible with Linux and delve into the pros and cons of open-source AI and AI in general. Five Open-Source AI Projects for Linux Users TensorFlow The Google Brain team created TensorFlow. Its underlying software powers some of the technologies that Google uses today. It translates languages, improves search engine results, recognizes pictures in Google Photos, and understands spoken words, making its machine learning (ML) capabilities genuinely awe-inspiring. To the surprise of the tech community, Google open-sourced TensorFlow , making it available to everyone. Developers can createML models, classes for these models, and write imperative forward passes with it, among others. TensorFlow uses Python, C++, and CUDA. Microsoft Cognitive Toolkit Researchers at Microsoft Artificial Intelligence and Research initially developed the Microsoft Cognitive Toolkit, formerly known as “CNTK,” as an internal tool to speed up their research. It later served as an exhaustive toolkit for deep learning. It was first used by Liebherr to develop smart refrigerators and other appliances and powered Microsoft’s flagship products. Since becoming open source in 2016, the toolkit has been used by different organizations to perform a wide range of deep learning and ML activities. Microsoft Cognitive Toolkit uses C++ and Python. What sets it apart is its scalability. It can train and examine deep learning algorithms in a central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), and other environments. Acumos AI Acumos AI is a product of the collaboration between TechMahindra and AT&T. It is an open-source AI platform that allows developers to build and deploy AI-powered applications. The platform also enables them to share AI-powered apps, fostering a community that does not hoard knowledge. The most significant contribution of Acumos AI to the market is that it allows for easy framework integration. Integration does not need to be performed by advanced programmers since the AI platform makes it uncomplicated for anyone. It supports several software languages such as Python, Java, and R. Apache SystemML IBM Almaden Research Center developed SystemML in 2010 to simplify the process of scaling ML algorithms written for small to big data. Before its development, data scientists who wrote ML algorithms using R or Python would rely on system programmers to convert the algorithms for big data using a different language. SystemML automatically scales an ML algorithm using a Python- or R-like language, effectively getting rid of the multi-iterative process, which tookweeks to complete. It wasn’t until June 2015 though that IBM open-sourced SystemML, and in 2017, it became an Apache Top-Level Project. OpenNN OpenNN is a neural network library written in C++. Data mining algorithms are present within its library, which can be embedded in other software to enable developers to perform predictive analysis. It’s important to emphasize that OpenNN is inherently a software library, and so doesn’t have a user interface (UI). The library, however, powers some predictive analytics tools such as Neural Designer, which allows users to model data through neural networks without needing to code programs. OpenNN’s development started in 2003 and was initially funded by the European Union (EU) under the research project named “Risk Assessment and Management of FLOODS (RAMFLOOD).” Artelnics, a tech company based in Spain, is currently developing the project. Open-Source AI: The Pros and Cons One factor that drives applications’ creators to release their work for free is the desire for AI to progress at a faster pace. By making their apps open-source, they can pool the knowledge of millions of experts togethe r, and development becomes a lot faster as a result of this global collaboration. Between the five open-source AI applications and libraries detailed ab ove, developers can program AI-powered software that could potentially change the world one industry at a time. AI in Agriculture Food security is a global issue, and with the increasing population, new methods of food production are much needed, and AI technology has been very helpful in this regard. Several countries around the world are benefiting from smart farming technologies that aid in livestock and crop monitoring, irrigation, weather forecasting, and overall farm management. AI in Marketing Big Data is a huge part of AI, and one of the industries that needs massive amounts of information is the marketing industry. AI has helped marketing professionals anticipateconsumer demand, discover new trends, and personalize products and services. All these capabilities help companies improve their bottom lines. AI in Healthcare The field of medicine is also increasingly making use of AI technology. For instance, AI systems are used to monitor a patient''s intake of prescribed medication. AI-powered health monitoring apps are also helping patients and doctors keep track of their heart rate and other vital statistics. AI in Cybersecurity Machine learning (ML), which is a component of AI, is changing the world of cybersecurity in terms of threat investigation and incident response. AI-powered cybersecurity tools can detect indicators of compromise (IoCs) such as malicious emails, URLs, IP addresses, and even unnatural network traffic. Open-source AI is also being explored in developing hardware , specifically microprocessors that are more secure. While advances in software have become a trend, hardware is lagging behind somewhat, making it easier for cybercriminals to gain access to microprocessors. But, with the help of AI, better and more secure chips can be developed. AI as a Cybercrime Weapon Along with the positive undeniable contributions of AI comes the other side of the coin, though—a new generation of cyberthreats backed by AI and smart technology. Blackhat hackers are, for instance, developing malware that uses AI to circumvent antivirus and antimalware detection tools. Cybercriminals use AI to hide malicious code in benign applications by training the malware to wait until the preset triggering action is performed. IBM Research demonstrated how DeepLocker can be used in cyber attacks. In the demonstration, DeepLocker can be trained to: Create an email that bypasses security filters Create a target profile Mutate to bypass antivirus or antimalware programs Perform cyber attacks at machine-like speed In the future, we may even see AI-powered malware trained to recognize a target’s face or voice.As a result, current cybersecurity tools and infrastructure may become obsolete. Aside from the possibility of cybercriminals launching AI-powered attacks, the very core of an AI machine is actually vulnerable to attacks. Threat actors, for example, can cause the deep neural networks of a system to cause it to make mistakes with the addition of subtle inputs. This vulnerability led IBM to develop an AI security software called Adversarial Robustness Toolbox (ART), which it also released as open-source software. Final Thoughts AI is all the rage in different industries, and rightly so. AI-powered tools and systems have the potential to change processes for the better—healthcare becomes more factual than intuitive, increases in revenue can be seen more clearly in marketing efforts, and food security becomes a reality rather than a dream. However, we should not discount the fact that AI can also be weaponized, empowering the wrong people. Cybersecurity systems must also be upgraded to counter AI-powered cyberattacks. And when developing AI-powered machines, it is critical to ensure that they are not vulnerable to attacks . About the Author Alexandre Francois is a serial entrepreneur and tech enthusiast who believes that knowledge about innovations and emerging technologies should be easily understandable and available to everyone. He is also the publishing director of Techslang — a tech awareness resource where cybersecurity and IT are explained in plain English. . The emergence of open-source AI has transformed the tech landscape for Linux users. Here are five key projects showcasing AI's industrial impact.. Open-Source AI, Machine Learning Tools, Linux Development, AI Projects, Software Collaboration. . Brittany Day
In the tech giant’s largest deal ever and one of the biggest deals in US history, IBM closed its $34 billion acquisition of Red Hat on Tuesday July 9, 2019. Red Hat will now be a unit of IBM’s hybrid cloud division and Red Hat CEO Jim Whitehurst will join IBM’s senior management team. This event has significant meaning that extends beyond is monetary value: it is a testament to the power of Open Source and the opportunity it offers businesses of all sizes across all industries. . Organizations choose open source because it allows them to build high-quality software faster and more securely than proprietary alternatives. Open source development is more rapid, with updates occurring on a more frequent basis. It is decentralized, so disparate groups from around the world collaborate and build a community where many stakeholders contribute, customizing and improving it for everyone along the way. The collaborative nature of Open Source fosters rapid innovation as a competitive advantage, with ideas coming from multiple independent sources as opposed to a single proprietary vendor. Open-source software and technology offer advantages in security and reliability, resulting from large deployments and the scrutiny from experts worldwide that open-source code undergoes. Well-designed open-source products and solutions provide: 1. Eliminated risk of vendor lock-in 2. Cost-effective implementation 3. Adherence to community values, ethics. It’s developed by the same people who use it themselves 4. Fewer vulnerabilities, fixed more rapidly 5. Increased reliability with a worldwide community supporting a code base rather than one team within one company 6. Better security - open source software’s code is often more secure because it is much more thoroughly reviewed and vetted by the community Pioneers in Open Source & Cyber Security Dave Wreski, Guardian Digital founder and CEO and passionate open-source community member and contributor, believes that Open Source is wherethe innovations in technology are occurring. He continues, “If you're developing the next big thing, you're doing it using Open Source.” Guardian Digital collaborates with many of the same building blocks developed by other Open Source contributors including IBM and Red Hat. Our software is created, developed, and built upon by software engineers freely. This generates more rapid innovation, with ideas coming from multiple independent sources, improving reliability and security compared to proprietary alternatives, which often have a reactive rather than proactive approach to cyber attacks. Since its inception in 1999, Guardian Digital has recognized that the open-source model provides the best approach to the problem of maintaining security in the relentlessly dynamic environment of the Internet. The ideals that the open-source community follows and hold dear — community engagement, openness, collaboration — are also the ideals that Guardian Digital holds among its main tenets. It’s a reflection of an environment that is highly collaborative, and where the best solution always comes out ahead. In this environment — where flexibility, choice, and an affordable costs are built into the process — Guardian Digital customers win. The future is open-source, and email security is no exception! How is your company using or contributing to Open Source? We’d love to hear about it :-) . Explore the implications of Microsoft's purchase of GitHub as a transformative step in the realm of collaborative development and code cohesiveness.. acquisition of Red Hat, IBM cloud technology, open source benefits, software security advantages. . Brittany Day
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