Open Source Security: Addressing Code Defects Effectively

Developers of open source software projects should be just as concerned about security as anyone developing a proprietary app. However, the nature of the two development processes can be very different at times, and debate still rages about which is inherently more secure -- a secret code kept by a company, or a public one that all eyes can see. Just as important is how each community reacts once a problem is spotted. Code hunters are spotting with greater frequency defective coding that could open security holes in free and open source (FOSS) software.

The Open Source Report 2008 and the Architecture Library Report, conducted by Coverity for the U.S. Department Homeland Security Cybersecurity Open Source Hardening Project, shows more than 10,000 defects fixed since project launch in March 2006.

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