Should Organizations Use it?

First of all, this is not a simple yes or no question. Many factors go into making this decision, and I will dig into some of these factors. Perhaps the saying “Use at your own risk” is perfect for this very question. So for this blog, I will simply evaluate some of the factors that should be considered for an organization to consider regarding open source security software.

Cost: Open Source software is typically inexpensive and free. In some cases, there may be fees to use third-party services along with the open-source software; however, anyone can use or download as they please.

Risk: What does your organization need the software to do? Consider the organization’s risk tolerance and criticality of the systems protected by the software.

Support: Constant improvements are a staple with open source security software. If a user finds an error, they can update or pass along the error so that a new update can be published. With this being said, there is trust in the community, and software could be pulled/modified at any time without you or your organization’s input.

Transparency: The code is transparent and typically available for inspection - for security experts to assess and hackers to find vulnerabilities alike. This puts high importance on patches, updates, etc.

Regulatory Compliance: Depending on industries, there may be regulatory requirements that specify the use of certain software.

In summary, these are just a few factors that should be considered when considering open-source software. Assess the situation, and see if a particular software may be a useful solution, or more of a risk for your organization’s needs.