After the U.S., Britain and France, Government of Israel announces shift to open source. The Israeli government will be making its software code available to members of the public.
Post the shift to open source, the public can now use and modify the software, point out vulnerabilities and propose improvements. It will also be available for use in development apps.
Also, open sourcing the code will allow the taxpayers to access the software and even use it in their personal projects. Moreover, it also enhances the security as researchers are able to perform vulnerability checks with ease.
The move follows a cabinet resolution passed in October 2014. The resolution applies to the government’s main web portal, gov.il. Other government services are also being encouraged to open their source codes.
The rationale is that the code was developed at public expense and should therefore be accessible to members of the public. Needless to say that it’s an encouraging development for the open source community. Read more…
