Here’s Why Cybersecurity Experts Want Public Source Routers
Found on Motherboard on Thursday, 15 October 2015
The experts reasoned that closed-source router firmware could expose users across the internet to security vulnerabilities. If these routers’ firmware were available for scrutiny online, the thinking goes, the wider community of experts and developers could work together to battle vulnerabilities without having to wait for router makers to release a patch—if they bother to do so at all.
Paul Vixie, the CEO of computer security firm Farsight Security, told Motherboard about one recent router vulnerability that allowed hackers to redirect their victims’ internet traffic to an ad server under their control.
This has worked for other areas, like encryption software where it is critically important that any 3rd party can verify the absence of backdoors. Considering the recent router security issues, this is a very valid demand.