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Open Source: DoD Cites Open Source as 'Compelling'
The days of suspicion by government bodies of the security and robustness of Open Source seem to be over. Over the last year various federal government bodies have voiced support of the Open Source approach.
Last year, the DoD issued a memorandum that summarized what they view as the good and bad of Open Source. Overall, the report comes out highly in favor of Open Source.
“To effectively achieve its missions, the Department of Defense must develop and update software-based capabilities faster than ever, to anticipate new threats and to respond to continuously changing requirements. The use of Open Source Software can provide advantages in this regard,” wrote David M Wennergren, deputy CIO of the DoD, in an October 16th, 2009.
That memorandum was a 180-degree change from the earlier policy of the department. Prior to that, the department had voiced concerns over the security of software that was open for all eyes to see.
The new guidelines say that “the continuous and broad peer-review enabled by publicly available source code supports software reliability and security efforts through the identification andelimination of defects that might otherwise go unrecognized by a more limited core development team”.
Further the report says that “reliance on a particular software developer or vendor due to proprietary restrictions may be reduced by the use of OSS, which can be operated and maintained by multiple vendors, thus reducing barriers to entry and exit.”
But the report still feels that it is important for Open Source software to be maintained by large corporate entities that can provide support, maintenance and product direction. “The use of any software without appropriate maintenance and support presents an information assurance risk. Before approving the use of software (including OSS), system/program managers, and ultimately Designated Approving Authorities, must ensure that the plan for software support (eg., commercial or Government program office support) is adequate for mission need.”
