Apple will be among several U.S. tech giants to attend a meeting at the White House today to discuss cybersecurity and possible security threats posed by open-source software, Reutersreports.
The meeting will be held by U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and will focus on "concerns around the security of open-source software and how it can be improved." The meeting was prompted by concerns around a security vulnerability found in open-source software Log4j.
The vulnerability, which posed a threat to organizations that use Log4j around the world, allowed hackers to control a system and remotely execute malicious code.
According to Sullivan, open-source software such as Log4j presents a "key national security concern" as it is often used and maintained by volunteers. Google, IBM, Meta, Microsoft, and Oracle are also expected to attend the meeting.
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I'm waiting for all the rabbid open-source fans to tell us open-source is much safer than closed-source.
It's not that simple. open-source CAN be safer, it can also be less safe. In open-source, the exact code is out there for anyone to look at. This means anyone could see any flaws and fix them. It also means that anyone could see any flaws and exploit them.
In closed-source, you can't see the code. It's a much different process to exploit the code. Much harder. There are also less people who have access to the code to fix any flaws. So, flaws will stick around longer.
The issue is more that there are a certain amount of core libs that everyone has in their builds. I think now its the Wild West because its no one person/ orgs job to check any of these libs or certify them. … We are leaving for too many core components to be looked after by people for free with no incentive to make sure everything is ok.
The entire Linux community is open source, and yet this is a much more secure platform than Windows has been. And Mac OS and their browsers have heavily benefited from the give and take between Unix and Linux (macOS building on a Unix rather than Linux kernel )
I am almost certain that there have been more security faults in proprietary systems than well maintained open source projects, because the drive behind open source is a more idealistic than the industries “quick to market / milk them all”
With that being said, especially when it comes to web development and the package repositories I see there, I am more doubtful and careful with using and relying on them. I feel it often moves too fast and the community has a different background than e.g. hardcore Linux developers.
I'm waiting for all the rabbit open-source fans to tell us open-source is much safer than closed-source.
It's not that simple. open-source CAN be safer, it can also be less safe. In open-source, the exact code is out there for anyone to look. This means anyone could see any flaws and fix them. It also means that anyone could see any flaws and exploit them.
In closed-source, you can't see the code. It's a much different process to exploit the code. Much harder. There are also less people who have access to the code to fix any flaws. So, flaws will stick around longer.
It's not simple.
Not a rabid open sores fan at all (except back in my teenage years when I went through a rebellious Linux phase ugh), but obscurity does not imply security.
Thursday January 6, 2022 1:44 pm PST by Juli Clover
Apple's annual shareholders meeting is set to take place Friday, March 4 at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time, Apple said today in an SEC filing. Shareholders meetings are normally held in person at Apple Park, but this year's meeting, like last year's, will take place virtually and will be open to a greater number of shareholders because there are no space restrictions.
Those who want to attend, vote, ...
Monday January 10, 2022 9:17 am PST by Juli Clover
Microsoft's 365 Defender Research Team this morning published details on a new "Powerdir" macOS vulnerability that let an attacker bypass the Transparency, Consent, and Control technology to gain unauthorized access to protected data.
Apple already addressed the CVE-2021-30970 vulnerability in the macOS Monterey 12.1 update that was released in December, so users who have updated to the...
Wednesday December 8, 2021 1:19 pm PST by Juli Clover
Apple today introduced a redesigned website for its Open Source projects, which houses Apple's open source work like Swift, WebKit, ResearchKit, FoundationDB, and more. The updated site can be found at opensource.apple.com.
The site includes two main sections, including Featured Projects to showcase a selection of Apple's open source work, and a second section for Releases.
The Featured...
Friday September 24, 2021 10:42 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
In 2019, Apple opened its Security Bounty Program to the public, offering payouts up to $1 million to researchers who share critical iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, or watchOS security vulnerabilities with Apple, including the techniques used to exploit them. The program is designed to help Apple keep its software platforms as safe as possible.
In the time since, reports have surfaced indicating...
Wednesday August 25, 2021 3:53 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple CEO Tim Cook this morning attended a cybersecurity meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden and executives from other tech companies like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon.
Following the summit, the White House said that the companies in attendance pledged their help to bolster U.S. cybersecurity efforts, with Apple planning to develop a program to make security improvements across its...
Apple CEO Tim Cook is set to join other tech executives in a cybersecurity meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden next week, reports Bloomberg.
The meeting will focus on the efforts by private companies to improve cybersecurity following a surge in online attacks over the course of the last year, an official familiar with the event told Bloomberg.The executives could discuss efforts...
Friday December 10, 2021 2:32 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Mozilla has released Firefox 95, featuring a new version of its security sandboxing subsystem called RLBox, and additional performance and efficiency improvements for the macOS version of the web browser. According to the release notes, RLBox is a new technology that hardens Firefox against potential security vulnerabilities in third-party libraries. The sandbox subsystem works by...
Apple is exploring new security measures for Apple retail stores in an attempt to discourage and prevent smash-and-grab robberies.
In a patent titled "Product-Display System" filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, spotted by Patently Apple, Apple details a number of mechanical systems for securing iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches.
The proposal effectively involves...
Apple's second-generation AirPods Pro could arrive alongside a new series of accessories, recent leaked images suggest.
Alleged leaked photos of the next-generation AirPods Pro obtained by MacRumors showed a charging case with a metal loop on the side for attaching a strap. Apple has not used this design for any of its other AirPod models and it is unclear why it would be added in this...
Friday January 14, 2022 12:46 pm PST by Juli Clover
Netflix today updated the prices for its streaming plans, and all of its offerings are now more expensive. The Basic plan is now priced at $9.99 per month, the Standard plan is priced at $15.49 per month, and the Premium plan is priced at $19.99 per month.
The Basic plan is $1 more expensive, up from $8.99 per month. This plan allows users to watch on just one screen at a time, and it limits ...
Friday January 14, 2022 7:02 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple is rumored to announce four new iPhone 14 models in September, and ahead of time, analyst Jeff Pu has outlined his expectations for the devices.
In a research note with Haitong International Securities, obtained by MacRumors, Pu claimed that all iPhone 14 models will feature ProMotion displays, compared to only Pro models currently. ProMotion enables a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz ...
Wednesday January 12, 2022 10:05 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today released minor 15.2.1 updates for iPhone and iPad users, and the software comes one month after Apple launched iOS 15.2 and iPadOS 15.2 with a slew of improvements.
The iOS 15.2.1 and iPadOS 15.2.1 update can be downloaded for free and the software is available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the new software, go to Settings > General >...
Wednesday January 12, 2022 1:12 pm PST by Juli Clover
LG in December announced the launch of its new 2022 32-inch UltraFine OLED Pro display, and in our latest YouTube video, we went hands-on with it to see how it compares to Apple's Pro Display XDR and whether it might be worth picking up depending on the price point. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Officially named the "32BP95E," the display features a resolution of ...
Friday January 14, 2022 10:44 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Debby Wu last year reported that Apple had tested a new iPad Pro with a glass back for wireless charging capabilities. In a recent edition of his newsletter, Gurman said he expects the new iPad Pro to be released in 2022.
While the new iPad Pro is still on track to feature wireless charging, 9to5Mac's Filipe Espósito today reported that Apple may have ultimately...
Wednesday January 12, 2022 9:26 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple is widely expected to remove the notch on iPhone 14 Pro models, but there have been conflicting rumors about the new design. Early rumors suggested that Apple would adopt a hole-punch design with Face ID somehow moved completely under the display, and later it was rumored that there would be a pill-shaped cutout instead.
Now, display industry consultant Ross Young has claimed that...
Thursday January 13, 2022 11:19 am PST by Juli Clover
With the Apple vs. Epic Games lawsuit continuing on, there are no signs that Apple has any intention of allowing popular battle royale game Fortnite to return to the App Store on iPhone and iPad.
Epic Games has found a workaround though, by partnering up with Nvidia. GeForce NOW, Nvidia's streaming gaming service, will soon add Fortnite support, allowing Fortnite to be played through a...
Amazon today has a great deal on the 2017 Intel 21.5-inch iMac (2.3GHz, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD), priced at $599.99, down from $1,099.00. This is the best price we've ever tracked on this model, and it's only available at Amazon. The sale price will be reflected after an automatic coupon is applied at checkout.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...
Top Rated Comments
It's not that simple. open-source CAN be safer, it can also be less safe. In open-source, the exact code is out there for anyone to look at. This means anyone could see any flaws and fix them. It also means that anyone could see any flaws and exploit them.
In closed-source, you can't see the code. It's a much different process to exploit the code. Much harder. There are also less people who have access to the code to fix any flaws. So, flaws will stick around longer.
It's not simple.
Dependency ('https://xkcd.com/2347/')
I am almost certain that there have been more security faults in proprietary systems than well maintained open source projects, because the drive behind open source is a more idealistic than the industries “quick to market / milk them all”
With that being said, especially when it comes to web development and the package repositories I see there, I am more doubtful and careful with using and relying on them. I feel it often moves too fast and the community has a different background than e.g. hardcore Linux developers.