Thank you for reading the LinuxSecurity.com weekly security newsletter. The purpose of this document is to provide our readers with a quick summary of each week's most relevant Linux security headlines.

Open-Source Security Projects: Choosing a Brandable .com Domain - LinuxSecurity would like to thank NameEstate.com for contributing this article. The importance of an open-source security project name cant be overstated. A name serves as a first impression. Its your first chance to tell people who you are and what you do. An impactful name is the best way to convey your value and what you can offer to clients. So, when it comes to open source security projects, finding a name that shows you are capable, trustworthy, and secure can determine your reach and success.

Encryption: An Essential Yet Highly Controversial Component of Digital Security - If youve been keeping up with recent security news, you are most likely aware of the heated worldwide debate about encryption that is currently underway. Strong encryption is imperative to securing sensitive data and protecting individuals privacy online, yet governments around the world refuse to recognize this, and are continually aiming to break encryption in an effort to increase the power of their law enforcement agencies.

  Best Open Source VPN For 2020 – 5 Choices To Consider (Feb 7)
 

Were living in times where internet privacy could soon become a myth with companies putting in their best foot to get hold of our data for advertising and other purposes.Thankfully, we still have VPNs to browse the internet anonymously. However, the recent case of one of the most popular VPNs falling prey to hackers further complicates the issue.
  Intel Open-Source Developer Has Been Working On "FGKASLR" For Better Kernel Security (Feb 6)
 

As another step towards tightening up the Linux kernel security, Intel's Kristen Carlson Accardi has proposed "FGKASLR" as a significant step forward for better enhancing the Kernel Address Space Layout Randomization .
  How the Iowa caucus app went wrong and how open source could have helped (Feb 7)
 

Opinion: It was incompetence, not politics, that led to the Iowa caucus app misfiring. Above all, it was poor programming. Open-source software techniques could have prevented this blunder.
  Patches to make Sudo utility less open to abuse (Feb 6)
 

A flaw that gave out root privileges gets patched. It is a utility that, said Dan Goodin in Ars Technica, can be found in "dozens of Unix-like operating systems."
  VPNs will change forever with the arrival of WireGuard into Linux (Feb 4)
 

This new, long-awaited technology will change how virtual private networks work first in Linux and then the rest of the VPN world.
  Linux and macOS PCs hit by serious Sudo vulnerability (Feb 5)
 

Have you heard that Linux and macOS systems have been hit by a nasty little bug in the Sudo utility? The good news is it has already been patched.
  Encryption backdoors: the biggest threat to our privacy that no one is talking about (Feb 4)
 

Strong, unbroken encryption is essential in protecting users' privacy and the integrity of sensitive data, yet encryption technology is currently under threat in many countries.
  Chrome 80 Released With 56 Security Fixes, Cookie Changes, More (Feb 5)
 

Are you a Google Chrome user? Google has released Chrome 80 to the Stable desktop channel for the Windows, macOS, Linux, Chrome OS, iOS, and Android platforms with bug fixes, new features, and 56 security fixes.
  Google launches open-source security key project, OpenSK (Feb 3)
 

Interested in using hardware security keys to log into online services more securely? Well, now you can make your own from scratch, thanks to an open-source project that Google announced last week.
  Coalition Pressures Government Agency To Recommend Ban on Government Use of Facial Recognition (Feb 3)
 

Over 40 groups have sent a letter to the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board asking the agency to recommend that the executive branch put a moratorium on facial recognition. What are your thoughts on this initiative?
  Google Chrome to start blocking downloads served via HTTP (Feb 10)
 

Are you a Google Chrome user? Have you heard that Google has announced a timetable for phasing out insecure file downloads in the Chrome browser, starting with desktop version 81 due out next month?
  Open-Source Security in 2020: Myths and Facts (Feb 10)
 

Open-source software isnt a completely chaotic and breached wasteland of vulnerabilities. Its a global effort to make the development lifecycle faster.