Vice President Joe Biden has announced that he has signed an executive order establishing the Open Source Security Program (OSSP) in order to improve the security of open source software used by U.S.
Will this actually help?
It remains to be seen whether or not Biden’s new executive order will actually help improve open source security. The order itself does not specify how this goal is to be achieved, leaving it up to interpretation by the various agencies involved. In theory, the increased focus on open source security could lead to better coordination and more resources devoted to securing these systems. However, it is also possible that the executive order will have little practical effect, amounting to little more than lip service.
The White House Wants Help
The White House has released an executive order calling for greater security in the use of open source software. While this is a step in the right direction, it does not address how to actually achieve this goal. The administration is asking for help from the private sector and academia to come up with solutions. In the meantime, they are taking some immediate steps to improve security, such as mandating code reviews and improving vulnerability reporting.
Who does the help go to?
The new executive order from President Biden calls for greater open source security but does not include any specifics on how to achieve this. The order does, however, direct federal agencies to review their use of open source software and to develop plans for improving security. This is a good first step, but it will be up to the agencies themselves to figure out how to best improve open source security. In the meantime, private companies and individuals can help by keeping an eye out for vulnerabilities and working to fix them.
Why is this important?
It’s no secret that open source software is becoming increasingly popular. In fact, many of the world’s most popular applications are built on open source platforms. However, with this popularity comes increased security risks. That’s why it’s so important that Biden has issued an executive order calling for improved open source security.
What can you do?
As a business owner, you can take steps to improve the security of your open source software. Here are five things you can do
1) Be aware of the vulnerabilities and threats that exist in open source projects. Keep up with new vulnerabilities that are found in these projects and make sure they’re patched as soon as possible.
2) Restrict access to vulnerable code or libraries by disabling access to them externally and only enabling access on a need-to-know basis (i.e., only certain people should have permission).
3) Ensure that you have processes in place to vet new open source packages before installing them. You should be able to identify if there is any known vulnerability before installation begins by looking at an online database like Mitre’s CVE database or another vendor-specific database such as Red Hat’s errata database.
How will it improve things going forward?
Biden’s new executive order calls for greater open source security. This is a positive step forward that will help improve the security of open source software. However, it is important to note that the executive order does not explicitly state how this goal will be achieved. This leaves it up to interpretation by government agencies and could lead to varying levels of implementation. Nonetheless, the fact that open source security is now a priority at the highest level of government is a positive development.
Conclusion – why should we care?
It’s good to see that the new administration is taking open source security seriously. After all, open source software is used in everything from the servers that power our websites to the self-driving cars being developed by tech companies. And, as we’ve seen in the past, when open source software is insecure, it can have devastating consequences.