People generally consider the code that powers the Linux kernel and other open source packages to be both superlative and secure because “many eyes make all bugs shallow.” But even the most reliable open source packages are still burdened with security flaws. Why? To find the answer, you have to look at the source.
Improving the security of software starts with a whole new vernacular
Compile Time
People generally consider the code that powers the Linux kernel and other open source packages to be both superlative and secure because “many eyes make all bugs shallow.” But even the most reliable open source packages are still burdened with security flaws. Why? To find the answer, you have to look at the source.
Ben Chelf
Before the introduction of the personal computer, computer security was largely the purview of computer operations centers that powered behemoth businesses, such as banks, insurance companies, airlines, and government. Machine rooms were off-limits, access to computing resources was strictly controlled and policed, and each system was essentially its own island, surrounded by a great sea of anonymity. Later, when the personal computer arrived, security remained an issue, but if you diligently scanned incoming media (namely, floppy disks), you could avoid most “viruses.”
Today, following the remarkable and pervasive adoption of the personal computer and the Internet, computer security has (unfortunately) become a popular topic. Viruses, worms, and other forms of exploits are a new fact of life — like death and taxes — and the hint of a new, significant threat quickly makes the headlines of the evening news. And it’s no wonder: virtually every computer can connect to another, granting malware a ready opportunity and avenue to propagate and wreak havoc….
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