Linux is more secure than most operating systems, but that does not mean its security can be taken for granted. Thus, Google and the Linux Foundation are funding two top Linux kernel developers to focus on security.
Linux security problems, when examined closely, usually turn out to be bugs created by incompetent system administration. But Linux can't just rest on its laurels. There are real Linux security concerns that need to be addressed. So, Google and the Linux Foundation are coming up with a new plan to fund two full-time Linux security maintainers, Gustavo Silva and Nathan Chancellor.
Silva and Chancellor's exclusive focus will be on maintaining and improving kernel security and related initiatives to ensure Linux security.
As the Linux Foundation's Open Source Security Foundation (OpenSSF) and the Laboratory for Innovation Science at Harvard (LISH) found in their survey of open source partners, security is often neglected in open source software development.
Google’s funding of two full-time Linux security maintainers signals the importance of security to the continued viability of open source. “At Google, security is always on our minds and we understand the critical role it plays in the viability of open source software,” said Dan Lorenc, a software engineer at Google. “We are honored to support the efforts of both Gustavo Silva and Nathan Chancellor as they work to strengthen the security of the Linux kernel.”
Chancellor's work will focus on finding and fixing all bugs found with the Clang/LLVM compilers. Gustavo Silva's full-time job is currently dedicated to eliminating several buffer overflows. Silva also works to fix bugs before they reach the mainline, proactively developing defense mechanisms that shut down entire classes of vulnerabilities. Prior to that, Silva led the effort to eliminate silent changes in the Linux kernel.
Information source: zdnet.com
