Summary: A UK government report by the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology identifies significant weaknesses in current open source software (OSS) practices and makes five key recommendations for improvement. It highlights issues such as the lack of industry-specific guidelines and the influence of large tech companies on the OSS ecosphere. The report emphasizes the importance of establishing best practices and engaging with the OSS community to enhance overall security and innovation.
Affected: Open Source Software Community and Organizations using OSS
Keypoints :
- Current OSS practices lack industry-specific guidance and consensus on managing OSS components.
- There is no formal process for evaluating the trustworthiness of OSS components, leading to varied trust models among developers.
- Large tech companies significantly influence OSS development, potentially sidelining smaller contributors.
- The report recommends establishing an internal OSS policy, developing a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM), continuous monitoring, community engagement, and utilizing automation tools.
- Engagement with the OSS community can improve internal developer skills and software quality.
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