Schmidt: Proprietary code is more securely written

Summary: Ex-White House adviser Howard Schmidt says the open-source community needs to catch up when it comes to securing code

By Tom Espiner | November 11, 2009 -- 12:43 GMT (04:43 PST)

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Commercial software vendors are doing a better job than their open-source counterparts at making sure their code is safe, according to former White House adviser Howard Schmidt.

Topic: Security

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Is it fair to...

Say that maybe there's to much complacency in open source community's?

CA-aba1d

11 November, 2009 21:00

Reply Vote

Weak

Notice how he sidesteps the question about whether the Linux kernel is more or less secure than Windows. He also lumps the entire open-source range against proprietry without giving any comparative examples.

In my experience all the core applications that make up an open platform are very well managed. Mention a vulnerability and they are all over it like a rash.

Talking about not reviewing code from a security viewpoint is disingenuous. The same is equally true for coders of proprietry kit. Indeed, nobody connected to a project should review it for security. People are notoriously unable to see defects in their own logic - and that doesn't just apply to ssoftware.

Tezzer-5cae2

11 November, 2009 22:43

Reply Vote

Open source code

I never thought of it like this before, and I guess that explains all the viruses, trojans, adware, and malware over running the world's computer systems. Sure is a good thing we have someone like Mr. Schmidt to set us straight, because all this time I had it backward. Fancy that.

ator1940

12 November, 2009 03:57

Reply Vote