Security & Trust in Open-Source Projects

[Mahmoud9876]

Open-source powers most of today’s digital infrastructure, but recent incidents (like Log4j or OpenSSL Heartbleed) have shown how fragile things can be when security is underfunded or neglected.

👉 Question for you:
💭 Who should be responsible for funding and maintaining security in open-source—companies that use it, foundations, or the community itself?

[khalifarsm]

This is one of the hardest open-source dilemmas — because everyone benefits from open source, but no one actor is solely responsible. The reality is that sustainable security requires shared responsibility, with different roles for companies, foundations, and communities. Here’s how it breaks down:

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1. Companies That Use Open Source

• Primary responsibility: Since they extract direct business value, companies should contribute proportionally.

• What they should do:

  • Fund security audits and bug bounties for critical dependencies.
  • Employ engineers to contribute patches upstream instead of only applying fixes downstream.
  • Sponsor maintainers financially (e.g., through Open Collective, GitHub Sponsors, or direct contracts).
  • Integrate OSS risk management into procurement just like they would with proprietary vendors.

🔑 Analogy: If you’re running your business on a public road, you should pay taxes to help maintain it.

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2. Foundations and Nonprofits (Linux Foundation, Apache, OpenSSF, etc.)

• Coordinating responsibility: They don’t have infinite resources, but they can set standards and organize collective action.

• What they should do:

  • Create centralized initiatives (like OpenSSF’s Alpha-Omega project) to audit and secure widely used packages.
  • Provide infrastructure (CI/CD, signing services, dependency scanning).
  • Educate maintainers and companies on secure development practices.
  • Act as neutral ground to avoid “vendor capture.”

🔑 Analogy: Foundations are like public works departments — they organize upkeep, but they need funding from citizens and companies.

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3. The Open-Source Community Itself (maintainers & volunteers)

• Technical responsibility: They have the expertise and proximity to the code, but usually not the resources.

• What they should do:

  • Follow secure coding practices and respond to disclosures.
  • Document vulnerabilities and fixes transparently.
  • Engage with companies/foundations to prioritize fixes.

• But: expecting unpaid volunteers to secure global digital infrastructure alone is unrealistic and unfair.

🔑 Analogy: The community are the skilled mechanics — they know how to fix things, but someone has to fund the shop.

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4. Governments & Regulators (increasingly relevant)

• Emerging responsibility: Governments rely on open source too (for defense, healthcare, finance).

• What they should do:

  • Provide grants for securing critical OSS projects (e.g., EU’s FOSSA program, US’s Securing Open Source Software Act).
  • Set policies requiring companies to manage open-source risk responsibly.

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✅ Bottom line:

• Companies: should bear the major financial burden since they profit the most.
• Foundations: should coordinate and channel resources effectively.
• Communities: should provide expertise, but not be left alone with the burden.
• Governments: should step in for systemic risks, especially with critical infrastructure.