Tag: open source libraries
“In the digital era, privacy must be a priority. Is it just me, or is secret blanket surveillance obscenely outrageous?” – Al Gore
The internet is a great big place with infinite doorways. It continuously upgrades, and with these upgrades come a lot of benefits, although sometimes risks may need to be taken. Open Source is one of the many great developments in computer technology.
Open source is quite literally everywhere. It surges with immense power and serves as a strong foundation for most commercial codebases. It is intricately intertwined with modern developments to such an extent that code owners are often ignorant of the open-source components in their own software.
In this article, we will briefly examine what Open Source is, its potential problems, how to solve these problems, and some best practices to follow when developing open-source software.
So buckle up; it’s quite a journey!
What Is Open Source?
Open Source software, in simple words, is software that is developed and maintained through open collaboration, transparency, and public updates. It is made available, usually at no cost, for anyone to access, examine, edit, and redistribute however they like.
Open source is widely exploited by many developers and software creators worldwide for its numerous benefits. An entire generation of open-source tools is said to have been developed and used today by software developers. They use open source to enhance their creation and troubleshoot issues with a comfortable sense of security and at a very low cost.
Although open source is famous for sparing companies the extravagant licensing cost, it can inflict other slightly less jarring costs such as network integration, end-user support, and IT support. These services are generally included with proprietary software.
Despite this minor shortcoming, most companies prefer open-source software as they consider it as reliable and secure as proprietary software and feel more at home with open-source solutions. This sense of control and belonging could be because, with open source solutions, developers can inspect the program code and understand exactly what they are affixing to their computing infrastructure.
Read more: Is Open Source The Crucial Catalyst For Your Digital Transformation?
Potential Problems With Open-Source Software
As we’ve already seen above, Open Source can be a highly useful tool in software development, but due to its easily accessible nature, it tends to incur a few risks. Two of these risks are discussed in short below:
1. Long-term Sustainability
Sustainability in terms of software refers to the ability of a software program to be designed, developed, and implemented with a limited energy consumption rate and have the least amount of impact on the environment.
A recent article by Taylor & Francis Online stated that there are three distinct types of sustainability: Resource-based, interactional, and infrastructural. Resource-based sustainability refers to the ability of Open Source components to lure resources such as developers and high-value assets such as knowledge. Interactional sustainability deals with relationships that are created and sustained in open source. Finally, infrastructural sustainability, as the name suggests, deals with the infrastructure that is required for any work to be carried out.
2. Software Security
It is evident from all we have seen so far that security risks are prevalent in Open Source Software, and collaborating with these solutions can pose certain risks that require the company to be mindful. The use of open source software libraries has taken the world by storm and significantly impacted software security across various industries.
The 2023 report on Open Source Security and Risk Analysis (OSSRA), published by Synopsys, stated that the fraction of open source codebases with security vulnerabilities has consistently stayed relatively stable over the past two years.
The report also warned that considering how open source software is available as-is without any warranties, any risk that may occur solely falls on the shoulders of the user. This in turn makes the selection, security, and maintenance of Open Source Libraries the top priority in the software supply chain’s security.
Risk Management
Every form of growth in a company inevitably comes with its fair share of risks. These risks should not faze a business owner. Facing them head-on is the best solution; taking as many preventive steps as possible beforehand will help. Listed below are a few ways through which you can protect your organization and keep it locked and loaded:
1. Rely On Reputable Sources:
It is of the utmost importance that you use reputable sources when trying to download and access open-source software. This simple step will help ensure that the software you use is of good quality and has been appropriately examined and tested.
2. Ensure To Track The Licenses:
Keep a consistent track of the licenses associated with the open-source software you download and use. Doing so will ensure that you are not breaking any laws without your knowledge and are complying with the terms of the license.
3. Create An Open Source Policy:
Draft a crystal clear Open Source Policy to ensure that your company or organization is using the downloaded Open Source Software with diligence and is mindful of its sustainability.
4. Compatibility With Your Company:
This is a surprisingly underestimated risk management strategy. Always ensure that the Open Source Software you choose to implement meets your company’s needs and is aligned with your use case. This step involves examining the source code, software testing, and all relevant documentation.
5. Consider Using Assistant Tools To Help With The Process:
It is always wise to know when to ask for and when to accept help. There are many tools across the internet that can make the daunting process of tracking and managing open-source licenses easy. Use them. These tools can help decrease the chances of risk and can even foolproof your software.
6. Keep Up With The Trends:
In a world that is as fast-moving as ours, it would be foolish not to stay up-to-date with any new trends in the field of Open Source Software. Actively seek out these latest advancements in the open-source software world and how to implement them in your organization. Subscribing to relevant newsletters, following related blogs and social media accounts, and attending industry events can help you here.
7. Use Effective Integration Tools:
As mentioned earlier, using tools to help guide you through the process is solid advice, but the tools you use should also be effective. DevSec teams offer products and services that foster collaboration between DevOps and SecOps teams. These teams are highly reputable and widely used across the world. These teams can help you integrate security in your open-source software deftly from the very start.
Read more: How to ensure safe use of open source libraries.
Mitigate Risks and Leverage Strengths with the Right Partner
As is the case with many technological developments, Open Source has its fair share of benefits and risks too. It is cardinal to carefully analyze the security of Open Source Software before implementing it. Security should be the top priority of any company, and it should not be compromised at any cost.
Although Open Source Software may not be subjected to the same level of security testing as proprietary software, the entire process must not be neglected. Always remember that whatever risk is posed by these programs, careful planning and management can help you sail smoothly in heavy storms. Make a note to understand the risks and take wise precautions properly. This will help you incorporate and maintain strong security.
Fingent has worked with clients worldwide to build custom software solutions for them by leveraging several open source software development kits. Our experts know how to mitigate the risks and use the strengths of these software to create solutions that will catapult your business way ahead of the competition.
Give us a call, and let’s get to the details.
‘There is success through many advisers.’ This ancient proverb has proved not just true but very effective and powerful in this digital age. This is precisely what Open-Source Software (OSS) accomplishes. It allows for collaborative development where the community can modify and enhance the source code.
Open-source systems can help businesses adapt quickly to changing circumstances and facilitates controlled upgrades. Integration and maintenance become less of a hurdle. With the wide range of OSS possibilities, businesses are wise to tap into this huge potential for building a robust, secure, and yet, cost-effective infrastructure.
This blog will help you gain an in-depth understanding of how open-source can power your digital transformation journey!
How Open-Source Software Powers Digital Transformation
Vendors today provide various software solutions indispensable to a business’s software strategy. But finding the right software solution that caters closely to an organization’s needs has always been challenging! Meanwhile, OSS helps businesses build and maintain their IT ecosystem and enables sourcing highly creative developers with hard-to-locate skills. Engaging with domain experts and making their contribution to the OSS bank helps developers find satisfaction and boosts creativity. Judicious use of OSS can be of great benefit to any business.
Most IT leaders believe that OSS is either “very important” or “extremely important” to the enterprise software strategy. How do we know that? In 2021, developers downloaded over 2.2 trillion open-source packages. That is a 73% increase.
Read more: How to Ensure Safe Use of Open Source Libraries
Here are more reasons to justify this statement!
1. OSS Can Serve as A Ramp to The Future
Irrespective of whether you are a small business with limited resources or an established enterprise with an established IT ecosystem, open-source software’s ability to supply code that can be easily changed and customized to your specific needs is invaluable. Many businesses are turning to AI and blockchain to better understand customer needs and work towards fulfilling them. Open-source code can not only hasten the process but also ensure efficiency.
AI, ML, and AR/VR could feel like the proverbial butterfly always out of reach, and more so if your business does not have a well-established IT team. OSS can then serve as your ramp to the future. Your vendor or coder could build on the resources available to ramp up your IT capabilities and reach your desired situation.
2. OSS Can Be a Beacon for Talent
OSS provides coders and developers with access to code written by experts or extremely creative pioneers. This would be an immersive learning exercise. At the same time, experienced engineers could interact with others in their community, freshening their skills while keeping up with the latest in the IT industry. This exposure would, in turn, influence their recruiting and training activities.
The OSS is also a repository of “glueware.” It allows software engineers to create things outside their immediate area of expertise. While it requires ingenuity and skill to glue parts together to make a whole system, OSS provides not just the individual parts and the “glue” required to fix them. It is a new method of looking at the design, resulting in greater satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment.
3. OSS Can Build Engineering Discipline
Open-source projects have very clear frameworks. There is structure and good practices such as separation of concerns, abstraction, and isolation. A business of any size would benefit from following the same discipline in setting up its systems.
Maintaining clear standards of operability ad interoperability is another advantage. Using OSS ensures that the same standards are followed. Businesses do not have to invent standards and frameworks but can build on the foundation provided by OSS.
4. OSS Can Improve Your “Ilities”
Scalability, availability, and reliability – are just a few of the many aspects that OSS can help improve. Utility to ensure efficiency and avoid duplicating work can also be added to the list. Developers or vendors would likely prefer importing sections from a tried and tested OSS repository than building from scratch.
Read more: Artificial intelligence and Machine Learning For Faster and Accurate Project Cost Estimation
Dimensions of Open-Source Software
OSS boosts the digital transformation of businesses. It is good for businesses that lack the resources to meet the needs of IT development. OSS can yield different variations by its modularity. Consider a few pros and cons of OSS:
- Price: The price is very low to zero. However, one must consider the need for support, customization, and hosting while considering the cost of using OSS.
- Source Code: Full access to the source code helps developers evaluate the quality of the software and customize it to the needs of the business.
- Functionality: While individual systems from the OSS may be limited, they can be easily ramped up to serve all business needs.
- Modularity: OSS is modular. Hence it prompts the engagement of several experts in building a specific IT system.
- Development: OSS code is developed worldwide by motivated developers from a wide range of roles and functions.
- Distribution: OSS code is distributed over the internet, which is fast, efficient, and cost-effective.
- Licensing: A range of OSS licenses specify how the code can be used, modified, or redistributed. However, certain restrictive licenses only support the limited use of the OSS code.
- Monetization: Offering support services to help integrate the system, train users, and fix bugs is one way to monetize OSS. Offering to work out the deployment of OSS systems and taking care of backups, upgrades, and downtime is another way to monetize OSS.
Is Customization A Smarter Choice With Open Source?
Remember that OSS is another tool best suited for certain tasks and not so well suited for others. OSS might not be the best choice for your strategic activities or initiatives contrary to your cultural norms. Certain projects on OSS might have too high a level of uncertainty or too little support.
This does not mean that OSS should be put out of the picture. Do you need to adapt quickly to the fast-paced development in certain domains? Do you need greater effectiveness in attracting and retaining talent? Do you need a solution that requires utility, quality, and speed? OSS can help you in all these scenarios.
Read more: Odoo Migration: Why Is It Crucial and How to Do It Seamlessly!
How Can Fingent Help?
Fingent can leverage open-source technology to quickly develop your customized, dynamic business application. Our experts use PHP, AngularJS, jQuery, Magento, and several other open-source technologies to develop, implement and support a wide range of open-source technologies and resources. Our extensive experience working with open-source tools helps ensure that we can provide our clients with customized, innovative solutions quickly and efficiently without compromising on quality.
Intrigued to learn more about how we can help you develop and leverage the best business software solutions with open source. Connect with our experts now!
The open source revolution is on. More and more enterprises are joining the open source bandwagon, to develop their internal and customer-facing apps. Free availability of source code, unbridled flexibility, gross reduction of app development time, resilience, and several other advantages prompt the move. But with great advantages come great risks as well.
The very nature of open source leaves the enterprise app development team with little control over the source and nature of their code. The odds are high that open source code may come with vulnerabilities, open for hackers to exploit.
Technological advances cut both ways. While technology may be used to beef up security, it also enables hackers to update their toolkits, and add any newly discovered vulnerability to their automated scanners. The odds of any application using flawed code being quickly found and exploited are generally high, more so when the open source library in question is a popular one. To make things worse, such hacker toolkits are freely available now.
So how do enterprise counter the hacker menace and ensure they can still reap the benefits of open source?
Be Very Careful of Downloads
With dozens of different open source libraries, tools, frameworks, and code snippets freely available over the Internet, there is a very good chance the variant chosen by the enterprise may have vulnerabilities. Even the hugely popular Ruby on Rails web application framework, with a very wide user community known for prompt updates, has been inflicted with several security vulnerabilities, placing 200,000-plus sites at risk of attacks that could lead to remote code execution.
Opt only for versions of open source libraries maintained by established consortium, dedicated to the cause of enhancing and maintaining the software. Such consortium would have a stake in the code. They would almost certainly be supported by grants from generous sponsors, enabling them to issue prompt patch updates, when a vulnerability is discovered.
Enterprises, for their part, need a clear policy on the usage of open source, loaded with:
- A white-list of trusted websites, from where the source libraries may be downloaded. The most reliable options are the websites recommended by Open Source Initiative.
- A list of security do-and-don’t, to prevent system admins and other users from downloading spurious open source software from dubious sources. Have a well-documented security policy, with clear guidelines on installation and maintenance of open source.
Prefer source code to binaries wherever possible. Most open source products are available either as source code or in package formats or binaries. Binaries offer a far greater level of risk, as there is no telling whether it has complied with the associated source code after all. The best practice is to download the source code directly, verify it against the provided MD5 checksums for integrity, and analyze the code for any latent vulnerabilities, before using it to develop apps.
Establish a System
A commercial closed sourced suite is developed through a structured and formal procedure, such as conducting a requirement analysis, defining the acceptance criteria, evaluating the product, comparing the product with competitive options, testing the functionality and security features, and more. Open source code may not necessarily undergo such kind of scrupulous evaluation or validation. There is no short cut but for the app development team to establish a method in the madness themselves.
Have a process in place to ensure adequate control, and to update all third-party code promptly.
Analyze the environment to identify possible threats. For instance, using popular open source libraries makes it that much convenient for attackers to identify vulnerabilities and launch attacks. However, at times, the biggest threat may not even be external, but malicious insiders. Understand the various ways in which the system could be attacked, and protect data accordingly.
Also, have a policy in place to govern code sources. Some teams may find they need to reduce the number of different code sources they use in order to manage them effectively. Within the framework of such policy and analysis:
- Create and maintain an up-to-date list of all third-party code in use, including all dependencies and sources. Designate a point person for each such code, to track mailing lists, news and updates.
- Avoid ad-hoc installations. Evaluate any open source considered for an enterprise use, and gather accurate information about the product.
- Institute an emergency response plan to execute critical releases. Internet facing apps often require a swift response to prevent attackers from exploiting a newly discovered vulnerability.
- Institute a dedicated team of system, network and security administrators to implement the policy and also review the policy from time to time, depending on the changes in business environment.
Apply Security Tools
Policies and safeguards can only safeguard to an extent, and require reinforcement through effective security tools.
Many open source projects do not issue patches, and rather just release a new version that fixes the problem.
The following are some of the tools worth considering:
Source code scanners such as FlawFinder and RATS (Rough Auditing Tool for Security) identify potential security problems in the source code. These source code scanners undertake pattern matching to highlight the areas of the code that has potential vulnerability and pose security risks such as buffer overflows, racing conditions, shell meta character dangers and poor random number acquisition.
- Vulnerability scanners such as SARA (Security Audit Research Assistant) and Nessus scan the network for vulnerabilities.
- Adopt a defense-in-Depth strategy, or a layered approach to securing the network, deploying the most effective security tool at all levels, from, application to the network.
- Configure the network properly. Disable all unwanted services, adopting the policy of “deny by default unless explicitly permitted.”
- Assume the network will be breached, and have effective measures in place to contain the menace, such as encryption of sensitive data.
The stakes of security breaches are high. The penalties, damaging lawsuits, and erosion of customer confidence can bring down the enterprise in itself. The most effective and risk-free approach towards adopting open-source is to partner with an experienced partner, like us. With us, you can leverage our considerable experience in not just developing cutting edge solutions using the most relevant open-source tools, but also take the most effective measures to ensure top-grade security.