http://www.hindu.com/2004/07/02/stories/2004070200991300.htm
NEW DELHI, JULY 1. The President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, today advised defence scientists to shun proprietary systems and opt for open source codes to enhance software security in defence networks.
"Open source codes can easily introduce the users to build security algorithms in the system without the dependence of proprietary platforms. We should take maximum care to ensure that our solution is unique to protect our own defence security solutions implemented on open platforms," the President observed at the silver jubilee celebration of the Indian Navy's Weapons and Electronic System Engineering Establishment (WESEE). During his interaction with IT experts in civilian and defence fields, Mr. Kalam has consistently advocated the use of open source software over proprietary software whose building block is rarely disclosed by corporates who own and sell them.
The President wanted defence application focussed networks to use all possible means, including high-level software, to guard against a possible security breach. Systems that could survive even under the unforeseen worst-case attack beyond the security perimeters were the need of the hour. Even though the required software for the equipment could be developed by the private industry, technical know-how and the architecture should be fully available to defence IT experts so that they could ensure life support for the software on their own..............................
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