FCC Rules Open Source Code Is Less Secure

An anonymous reader writes "A new federal rule set to take effect Friday could mean that software radios built on 'open-source elements' may have trouble getting to market. Some US regulators have apparently come to the conclusion that, by nature, open source software is less secure than closed source. 'By effectively siding with what is known in cryptography circles as "security through obscurity," the controversial idea that keeping security methods secret makes them more impenetrable, the FCC has drawn an outcry from the software radio set and raised eyebrows among some security experts. "There is no reason why regulators should discourage open-source approaches that may in the end be more secure, cheaper, more interoperable, easier to standardize, and easier to certify," Bernard Eydt, chairman of the security committee for a global industry association called the SDR (software-defined radio) Forum, said in an e-mail interview this week.'"

Comments

Re:The FEDS

[Anonymous Coward]

Wow, it sure didn't take long for someone to blame Bush for this.

its about time

[Anonymous Coward]

we need to safeguard our infrastructure and start licensing the programming profession, too many kids in their moms basements can contribute buggy code to major open source projects, and given that linux is based on code by foreigners like "dvd jon," theres no telling what backdoors Al Qaada has running in our country's networks.

Re:Well, they're technically correct, of course...

[Trillan]

no-one in their right minds would use an XOR cypher

/me shifts uncomfortably

C'mon, it was the early 90s, I was new at this programming thing, and my boss told me to do it...

At least I changed the constant away from 0x7F.

Thanks

[Applekid]

It's just that the boys at the FCC are go getters! Who cares if they aren't software security people, it's the FCC! They see a problem and are totally pro-active to take it on. Morality cops on TV and radio? That definitely falls within assigning and licensing portions of the EM spectrum for private industry. They're just going above and beyond.

All hail the FCC!

(can I puke now?)

Decryption

[benhocking]

We've decrypted your text, and the FCC would like to inform you that we do not approve that sort of vulgarity! -the FCC

Re:Where's the NTFS writer then?

[Penguinisto]

...so if we all write crufty kludges instead of clean, elegant code we'll all be perfectly safe and secure?

Suddenly, I'm not so sure I'm gonna be able to get any sleep tonight for some odd reason...

/P

Re:Where's the NTFS writer then?

[Hognoxious]

Translate this to physical security. Would you be satisfied with a bank that kept your money in jar that was hidden in a large building with no floorplan, no locks, and missing doorknobs?

Mmm, you lost me there, buddy. Where's the car fit into all this?