Gene Spafford

Why Open Source Software Only Seems More Secure

• Language: English
• Duration: 1 hour + questions
• Level: b

Many people claim that open source software products -- especially operating systems -- are inherently more secure than commercial, proprietary software. However, these claims are not usually supported by what is known about properties of secure software. Instead, they are based on anecdotal comparisons with specific cases of commercial software where failures have occurred.

In this talk, I will describe factors that lead to more secure software. I will also discuss the causes of the perception that commercially-produced software is an inferior approach to secure software development. The audience will be challenged to consider the application of some of these principles to their favorite software, and the changes that might result.

Gene Spafford

Eugene H. Spafford (for short Spaf) is a professor of Computer Sciences at Purdue University, the university's Information Systems Security Officer, and is Director of the Center for Education Research Information Assurance and Security. CERIAS is a campus-wide multi-disciplinary Center, with a broadly-focused mission to explore issues related to protecting information and information resources. Spaf has written extensively about information security, software engineering, and professional ethics. He has published over 100 articles and reports on his research, has written or contributed to over a dozen books, and he serves on the editorial boards of most major infosec-related journals.

Dr. Spafford is a Fellow of the ACM, Fellow of the AAAS, senior member of the IEEE, and is a charter recipient of the Computer Society's Golden Core award. Among other activities, he is chair of the ACM's U.S. Public Policy Committee, a member of the Board of Directors of the Computing Research Association , and is a member of the US Air Force Science Advisory Board. He regularly serves as a consultant on information security and computer crime to law firms, major corporations, U.S. government agencies, and state and national law enforcement agencies around the world.

More information may be found at <http://www.cerias.purdue.edu/homes/spaf>

In his spare time, Spaf wonders why he has no spare time.