Title: To prevent them from entering, provide the keys

Authors: Joseph Heili, Jean-Mathias Heraud

Addresses: Groupe ESC Chambery, 12 av. d'Annecy, 73381 Le Bourget du Lac Cedex, France. ' Groupe ESC Chambery, 12 av. d'Annecy, 73381 Le Bourget du Lac Cedex, France

Abstract: Open Source Software (OSS) often makes its intimate workings public. By doing this, OSS seems to demand users to run a major risk in security. However, public organisations related to the French National Defence promote and adopt such OSS software packages. This apparent incongruity deserves a thorough study of the relations between OSS and security. After having specified and positioned the notion of Information System Security (ISS), this paper states the arguments given by both Closed Source Software (CSS) editors and free software holders. The second reading of these arguments through three examples leads us to propose a strategy of security based on the heterogeneity of the computers owned by a company.

Keywords: open source software; OSS; information systems; security; ISS; framework; France; exploratory study.

DOI: 10.1504/IJITM.2009.022268

International Journal of Information Technology and Management, 2009 Vol.8 No.1, pp.19 - 32

Published online: 25 Dec 2008 *

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