Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

Trust is the foundation of the open source community — but what happens when that trust is betrayed? When a backdoor vulnerability was found in a widespread Linux-based data compression tool, it nearly created an opportunity for malicious actors to seize control of countless computers worldwide. The vulnerability was introduced by a trusted contributor who, after years of building rapport with maintainers, ultimately exploited that trust.

Traditional open source vulnerability remediation is a significant bottleneck in modern security. Organizations often grapple with hundreds or thousands of high and critical vulnerabilities, yet the process of upgrading dependencies is a manual, time-consuming, and error-prone task, heavily reliant on developers. Developers, naturally prioritizing feature development, may resist upgrades due to potential risks and increased workload.

The open-source ecosystem is rich with tools that empower developers and security practitioners alike. Two standout projects are Sysdig OSS and Falco, both of which leverage deep system-level instrumentation to provide insights and enhance security. However, while they share a common foundation, they serve distinct purposes. This blog explores the strengths of Sysdig OSS and Falco, how they differ, and how they can complement each other.

When deciding what approach to use for security tooling, it seems like there are two choices. Like everything in security, there is more to unpack in reality. In this article I want to explore when open-source security tools should be used, when commercial tools are more effective, and if we can trust tools built from an open-source core.

Discover key takeaways from SOSS Fusion 2024, where security experts gathered to learn from one another about improving our world, AI, and the future of open-source security.

OS hardening refers to the process of enhancing the security of an operating system by implementing various measures and practices to minimize vulnerabilities and strengthen its resistance against potential cyber threats and attacks. This involves configuring the OS settings, applying security patches, disabling unnecessary services, and implementing access controls to create a more robust and secure computing environment.

Most modern applications contain a substantial number of open source packages, libraries, and frameworks. In fact, it's estimated that at least 80% of the source code in modern applications is from open source. In addition to relying heavily on commodity components to build applications, development teams often deploy these apps and services via community-sourced container base images.