Open Source a National Security Threat

n3xup writes "Dan O'Dowd, CEO of Green Hills Software, suggests that open source software has the capability of being sabotaged by foreign developers and should not be used for U.S. military or security purposes. He likened Linux with a Trojan Horse- free, but in the end a lot of trouble. O'Dowd thinks that unfriendly countries will attempt to hide intentional bugs that the Open Source community will have no chance of finding."

Comments

Re:Understand the Source Perspective

[mobiGeek]

The difference is that when the contract comes up for bid, they will both have the source code involved and a better chance of finding competing contractors able to work with that code.

Nice in theory, unfortunately this point of view has removed politics from the government...

Re:all in the family

[Keruo]

everyone has their price, offer substancial reward and anyone can turn into spy who might alter the code
and often the brainwashing starts from home
did you ever go to church with your dad when you were little?
now what if your dad had've been fundamentalist and started brainwashing you at early age, eventually reaching point where you both were working in a position to stir the world peace with minor changes to some code
the lifelong brainwashing would've altered your sense of responsibility and if your dad would ask you to alter the missile targeting system to do something else, you'd probably do it without hesitating since you'd feel obligated to follow his word
kinda like the suicide bombers in middle east, blowing themselves up in belief of fast entry to heaven by dying as a martyr