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Military Adoption of Open-Source Software May Increase Flexibility and Lower Cost
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Comments (8)
The lower cost comes from not waiting for the software's owners to "get on the ball." It costs money to compensate for software's shortcomings. The longer the fix takes, the more the compensation costs.
Not much on talk on security, eeh?!?! I guess they didn't want to upset their corporate masters,...
But the whole thing about a soldier needing an app and getting it through the web while in the field?!?! Horse-pucky -- The IT security people in the military would never go for that. Any app needs to be tested, re-tested ad nausem in a military environment. A programer (even a gov't programmer) could slip routine in to activate a mic or webcam while the machine is in a sensitive environment, or cause a machine to give up GPS coordinates (if it possesses a GPS chip)... No way a field soldier could get apps that quick. Even logistics programs would need security scrutiny. You don't want your enemies to know how much of whatever you happen to be shipping that you are moving at any particular time.
But the whole thing about a soldier needing an app and getting it through the web while in the field?!?! Horse-pucky -- The IT security people in the military would never go for that. Any app needs to be tested, re-tested ad nausem in a military environment. A programer (even a gov't programmer) could slip routine in to activate a mic or webcam while the machine is in a sensitive environment, or cause a machine to give up GPS coordinates (if it possesses a GPS chip)... No way a field soldier could get apps that quick. Even logistics programs would need security scrutiny. You don't want your enemies to know how much of whatever you happen to be shipping that you are moving at any particular time.
Software's owners?? Therein lies the core problem...
The military could set up their own repository, and I would guess each division would have their own, and the required software would be in it properly tested and such.
@theboomboomcars -
such a mechanism would have to be "locked down" otherwise there's nothing preventing the soldier/sailor/airman/marine in the field from grabbing unauthorised updates from unauthorised repositories.
such a mechanism would have to be "locked down" otherwise there's nothing preventing the soldier/sailor/airman/marine in the field from grabbing unauthorised updates from unauthorised repositories.
DarrenR114-
True, but that is a possibility.
JaseP: If you want a more elaborate take of DoD on the subject, I'd suggest:
https://www.softwaretechnews.com/stn_view.php?stn_id=42
Register and read it, I'd say!
https://www.softwaretechnews.com/stn_view.php?stn_id=42
Register and read it, I'd say!
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May? Hmmm... That's pretty definitive. Let's see:
“The military generally needs software changed quickly, but proprietary programs must be modified by the software’s owners, which can take a long time,” said Joshua L. Davis, co-founder of the community, coordinator of the event and a GTRI research scientist. “Open-source changes can be tackled by any member of a programming community and are usually delivered quickly, sometimes in hours.”
Well, there's your flexibility argument. Anyone wanna try for lower cost?