

How secure is open source encryption software? - curious_dude

Can you open source a encryption software and not gain vulnerability ? I am curious, if I can see the source code of a encryption application and assuming that this code doesn&#x27;t using any non-free (non-open source apis) then doesn&#x27;t that make it easier to attack that software ? I am not taking about how secure open source applications are in general, only about open source ENCRYPTION SOFTWARE.
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gmuslera
You have bad and good encryption algorythms. A good algorythm should be safe
(think in i.e. pgp or asymmetrical cryptography). And that is implemented in
open source means that you can verify that it is really using a good algorythm
or not, and is well implemented, and don't have hidden backdoors or things
like that, and if is not you because you lack the mathematical/programming
knowledge to evaluate that, plenty of people that does could.

In closed source you just can't verify that. And the ones with the source or
that have power over them (i.e. the government) will know how safe it really
is, and how get in if they want.

