Is Open Source Software less Secure than “Closed Source” Proprietary Software?
I have always found this question humorous! According to one article, there may be 60,000 “Closed Source” Windows based Viruses, as opposed to 40 for “Open Source” Linux! These numbers may, or may not be exactly accurate, but the great disparity between the numbers is! Obviously, the creators of viruses DO NOT need to see the Source Code in order to create viruses! ;^) “Many eyes make shallow bugs” was a term coined by Linux Torvalds. Now I would NEVER state that there are no bugs or Security weaknesses in Linux, or other Open Source software, but having the code analyzed, tested, and used by so many people, does a better job of identifying bugs and weak spots in the Source. Open Source programmers take pride in their software. Their reputations are more on the line. They are displaying it for all to see and judge. This makes them more aware of good coding practices. They would rather hold back an update to a software package than release software that doesn’t work, or may contain bugs
