Is open source software a network security risk?

Networks are changing. More and more we’re hearing terms like whitebox, britebox, disaggregation, NOS, commodity hardware and open source when we talk about the future of networking. Since you’re reading this on the Cumulus Networks blog, I’ll assume you get that and spare you a description of these terms here. If you do want a crash course on network disaggregation and how it relates to orchestration/SDN, check out my previous post on the Packet Pushers blog.

With that bit of housekeeping out of the way, let’s dig right into today’s topic: open source software security.

First, why does security matter? If you’re like most network engineers, your primary goal typically is to get bits of data from one place to another. Anything that interferes with the free flow of packets and frames is a potential problem. So the goals of security can at first appear contrary to those of the network. Raise your hand if you’ve ever been frustrated by a firewall rule or some seemingly arcane security policy!

Unfortunately, we no longer have the luxury of ignoring security. Today’s network is one of the most crucial pieces of IT infrastructure for any organization and for the economies we operate in. Continue reading

Where Are All the Operators in the IETF Standards Process?

Network operators – service providers, enterprises, engineers, architects, data-centers, campuses, etc. – are responsible for keeping the packets flowing across their network(s). The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) designs, develops, and documents the standard protocols network operators use in and on their networks. In a perfect world, operators would be part of the IETF process […]

Author information

Chris Grundemann

Director, Deployment and Operationalization at Internet Society

Chris Grundemann (JNCIE #449) is a passionate Internet Technologist and a strong believer in the Internet's power to aid in the betterment of humankind. In his current role as Director of Deployment and Operationalization (DO) at the Internet Society, Chris is focused on helping to get key Internet technologies, such as IPv6 and DNSSEC, deployed around the globe. He has over a decade of experience as both a network engineer and architect designing, building, and operating large IP, Ethernet, and Wireless Ethernet networks. Chris has 11 patents pending and is the author of Day One: Exploring IPv6 and Day One: Advanced IPv6 Configuration, as well as several IETF Internet Drafts, a CircleID blog, a personal weblog, and various other industry papers and blogs. He is the Continue reading