Software development has become a driving force behind innovation and progress across many industries. A key factor in this development is open source software, which has transformed the way technology is created and shared. In this article, we’ll discuss open source software, the risks associated with using such software and strategic insights for corporations who use open source software.

What Is Open Source Software?

Open source software (OSS) is computer software that is licensed in a way that allows its source code to be publicly available. This allows anyone to view, modify, or distribute the software. The term “open source” generally refers to a community-based approach of creating intellectual property via collaboration, transparency, and frequent public updates. An important principle of OSS development is peer production, with products such as source code and documentation being made freely available to the public.