Google has recently announced that it will be launching what it has called Assured Open Source Software via the Google Cloud. The assured software is what Google already uses internally; it has simply upgraded it and created a package it can release to the public. The company announced the release of the new software on its blog, stating that it should be available in the last quarter of 2022, at least in preview form.
The news is exciting - open-source software has traditionally been plagued with vulnerabilities that are easy to exploit, creating major weaknesses within software packages. Below, we'll look at Google's Assured Open Source Software announcement and why they're doing it.
The announcement is creating a buzz. Google's Assured Open Source software will be available by Google Cloud, a platform that's considered secure and used by millions of people. Google has said that the software will continuously be security-vetted, promising users a software package that will have iron gates.
Google is committed to cyber security and giving people access to tools online that are safe to use. The Assured Open Source software package won't be one individual package - it'll be multiple packages made available through the cloud that Google uses themselves. The hope is that the Google seal of approval and the continuous security testing will provide a breakthrough in the rise of cyberattacks, namely supply chain attacks.
Google is releasing the software to try and make open-source coding safer. Despite application security testing, there has been a recent sharp rise in the number of cyberattacks exploiting the vulnerabilities of open-source coding. In 2021, reports revealed that cyber-attacks exploiting open-source coding vulnerabilities grew by a staggering 650%. That's one of the reasons why Google is releasing the software - it's a direct response to the sharp rise in open-source code cyberattacks.
Google recognizes that enterprises are using open-source software more than ever, especially to manage supply chains, fuelled by the pandemic, which forced businesses to look for alternative supply chain management solutions. What's more, 80% of IT leaders state they plan on increasing the use of enterprise open-source software for emerging technologies - thus, accelerating the need for secure open-source software solutions like Google Assured.
In the announcement on Google's blog, a direct statement from the group product manager for security and privacy, Andy Chang, stated that Google is one of the largest maintainers, contributors, and users of open-source software. He also said that the company is heavily invested in creating a secure open-source ecosystem.
Hopefully, what it means for the future of open-source coding are safety and security. So many systems rely on open-source coding and can't operate using closed-source coding - thus, there is a need for new solutions that makes open-source coding safer. The sharp rise in attempted or successful hacks on open-source software proves that something has to change to create a secure environment for businesses and consumers.
Open-source coding is easy to exploit because it's freely available for anyone to use, modify, or inspect. Despite regular and rigorous testing, alterations in the coding can create instant vulnerabilities. There is a need for continuous security testing to ensure applications remain safe - which is why Google is releasing its security-vetted software packages to the public. It provides reassurance that open-source software can and will be safe to use.
The future of open-source coding should be bright. With Google on board, there is an expectation that the software packages they release will be some of the, if not the safest open-source software to use. By 2023, Google should have released the software packages available exclusively on the Google Cloud.
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