full-disclosure - Group urges limits on open source

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From: rms at computerbytesman.com (Richard M. Smith)
Subject: Group urges limits on open source

Hi,

Here's another side to the open-source vs. closed-source security
debate.  The computer industry establishmnet (ie., Microsoft, Intel, and
Cisco) is throwing around lobbying dollars in Washington, DC in an
attempt to "win" this debate at the DOD. 

Richard M. Smith
http://www.ComputerBytesMan.com

========================================

http://news.com.com/2100-1001-975578.html?tag=fd_top

Group urges limits on open source 

By Declan McCullagh 
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
November 27, 2002, 3:16 PM PT

The U.S. Defense Department should think twice before embracing
open-source software, a trade association is advising. 
The Initiative for Software Choice, which counts Microsoft, Cisco
Systems and Intel among its backers, said in comments filed Tuesday that
the department should "avoid crafting needless and potentially
detrimental IT policy to promote the use" of open-source software. "Open
source" means every software developer can view the source code for
software, modify it, and use it for free. 

The initiative, which launched in May and is chaired by a group called
CompTIA, an organization that has close ties to Microsoft, is worried
about a recent report that concluded the Defense Department relies on
open-source software and recommended its further adoption. 

Written by defense contractor MITRE, the report said that free and
open-source software "plays a more critical role in the (Defense
Department) than has been generally recognized" and endorsed it as a
viable alternative to proprietary Microsoft products. 

This week, the Initiative for Software Choice counterattacked, telling
the Defense Information Systems Agency that the Pentagon should not
"openly promote the use" of open-source software, arguing that
proprietary products are not inherently less secure. 

....