Choosing open-source software products over proprietary ones offers many benefits to businesses. These software products are often cheaper and add higher value to companies than proprietary programs that quickly succumb to technological obsolescence. Open-source software isn't used more often by some companies because of perceived security vulnerabilities. Business managers have a picture of a diabolical programmer who builds back doors into his/heer applications that'll leave their businesses open to data theft, sabotage, and loss of brand reputation. While there are exceptions to the rule, most software developers want to build smart programs that make companies seek them out again and again.
A software developer's reputation rides on how efficient, effective, and secure his or her programs are. As a result, many open-source software products are less vulnerable to security threats than their proprietary peers. Still, think that open-source software is less secure than proprietary programs? In this article, an acute programmer of Rosemount, Austin Alexander Burridge, highlights open-source software facts that'll make you reconsider your position.
Frequent Tech Refreshes
Technology moves at a rapid pace, and companies that don't make the right upgrades can fall behind competitors who do. However, technological upgrades don't just help companies stay competitive; they often help businesses remain secure from hackers.
Your IT manager periodically uses a vulnerability scanner to find threats within your company's computer network. What happens when he detects a threat that comes from a vital, proprietary system? Does he or his staff members have time to build a workaround that'll adequately safeguard your network until the vendor builds a fix for its proprietary software? This likely won't be an issue if you use open-source software.
Open-source software products are built by developers who want to deliver applications that stand the test of time. They stay aware of the most common cybersecurity issues and update their software products to fight those threats. When they create an upgrade, they make it available to the public. Users decide if they want to accept the change or keep their existing version. There's no pressure to adopt a costly upgrade from a pushy software development firm.
Supported by Vibrant Developer Communities
Since open-source software is widely available to the public, it's also exposed to some of the brightest IT professionals in the world. This means that designers, developers, and quality assurance specialists can take part in making the product better, and they do. Besides making applications more user-friendly, these people make great efforts to create software products more secure by following industry-standard protocols for data validation, encryption, and passwords.
While a few people in small groups usually develop proprietary software products, open-source applications are tested and modified by many people within a thriving development community. The bugs and security threats that small teams under tight schedule constraints overlook are often found by IT professionals who are interested in making a piece of open-source software more useful. As a result, the community develops security-related upgrades and patches more frequently and publishes them faster.
Designed With Flexible Security Features in Mind
A budget is always an essential consideration for all software development projects. Companies that develop proprietary software often have larger budgets for security-related upgrades than developers who work on open-source software projects. However, that doesn't mean that open-source software developers let security concerns go unaddressed.
When open-source software developers are made aware of a specific security vulnerability or bug in their software products, they often publish the vulnerability to the community. If there's a developer who wants to offer a fix, he can build one and publish it as a particular version. If there's no funding to develop an upgrade, an IT professional is still aware of the problem so that he can create a custom workaround for his company's unique system until an updated version of the software becomes available.
Backed by Large, Thriving Businesses
While the security vulnerability of all software must be assessed on a case-by-case basis, there are ways to find out if an open-source software product has the security features that your company needs to overcome the latest cybersecurity threats. One sign that an open-source software product is network worthy is its acceptance by large, growing companies. These businesses need high-performing applications that secure system and customer data. They have deep pockets to invest in proprietary versions of the software. When they choose open-source software products, they're pretty confident that those products have the security features that meet their needs now and in the long term.
Summary
Excellent software development is both an art and a science, but applications are only as good as the humans who design and build them. When it comes to safeguarding your company's data, using vulnerability scanners and performing security audits work wonders to find and limit threats from hackers whether you decide to use proprietary or open-source software.
About Austin Alexander Burridge: As a self-taught coder based in Rosemount, Austin Alexander Burridge pursues his passions as an innovative programmer and avid tech junky. Though primarily based in Illinois, Mr. Burridge has found success at the international level as well, specifically within the freelance market. He enjoys sharing his ever-expanding computer knowledge and skills with his local Rosemount community as well as the online tech hubs. When he's not using his skillset writing code, he can be found on the internet reviewing the latest tech, gadgets, and software developments.
