Taken from the list of "Free Software Network" RSLCAN
In defense of free software and other civil rights
Network Free Software and Open Source Nicaragua (RSLCAN) and Linux User Groups Nicaragua (GUL-NIC), both member organizations of the community of free and open source software that encompasses hundreds of men and women interested in defending citizens' rights in environments mediated by information and communication technologies and the widespread use free software, we use our right of reply in relation to the article entitled " CSE vulnerable," which was published in The Nuevo Diario on Monday September 29th of this month, and signed by Angelica Martinez.
First, recognize and share the concern of El Nuevo Diario improve the efficiency and safety of public institutions, specifically with regard to public information to manage these entities, while inappropriate use can be detrimental for and citizens.
In this regard, we also recognize as valid the interest mentioned in the print media to highlight the potential vulnerabilities of the website of the Supreme Electoral Council, and that, if confirmed, they could pose a threat to the security and privacy of persons whose data are safeguarded by the electoral authority.
However, we believe that the article in question lacks adequate depth research for addressing these issues as complex and delicate, as it gives a high truth value the opinions of strangers even in the underworld of the so-called "hackers" . Let's examine some of them.
The informant identified as "Anonymous" says: "I would further recommend that [the CSE server] is not free software (Linux), whatever they say, that Windows is less secure, not so."
First, the belief that free software is only the Linux operating system responds to a dull and limited on new information and communication technologies. Today there are hundreds of free software applications running on different platforms such as Java, FreeBSD and even Windows itself, which is a free operating system.
On the other hand, claim that Windows owns Linux is more secure than free is not serious and quite irresponsible. There have been many tests to compare the safety of existing operating systems in which Linux distributions have exceeded those of Windows.
Later, the same respondent "Anonymous" says: "A hacker who knows the software, how operates and how it is encoded (features that make it free), have more opportunity to have the attack to succeed. / I have seen here in Nicaragua, hackers break in and several sides, and most attacks are where there is a server software free. "
The fact that someone living in a house with walls and roof transparent glass is no guarantee that a burglar may be searched and steal what's inside. The ability to access the source code of a software application does not in any public way that provides the key to potential intruders. The logic of the code open rather facilitates the audit of the software before potential failures or deficiencies and the resulting modification to improve it quick and easy. Internally
our organizations (RSLCAN, GUL-NIC) have discussed the technical and, above all, ethical, various attacks carried out in Nicaragua and websites proudly confirm that most of these sites are servers based on free software, a situation that is widespread throughout the internet (according to a survey conducted by Netcraft in the month of September, 50.43% of the world's servers use Apache, a free software. Further details through link below http://news.netcraft.com/ archives / web_server_survey. Html ).
However, "Anonymous" recognizes a complementary manner that "now, the safety of the CSE data base should be well defined for consultation only and do not leave it open, because the hacker can put something malicious. / As an administrator, not leave open for the user to type in a field with existing wildcards (characters used in programming). "
With that statement, the respondent acknowledges that the safety of the CSE database derived from the application used to operationalize the data and make it publicly available through the free server. You further acknowledge that failure security are rooted in the human factor (System Administrator) when it makes inappropriate settings and opens the door, facilitating the work of any "malicious hacker."
There are other statements that are technically and politically contestable, but for reasons of time and space do not address in this communication.
The RSLCAN and GUL-NIC voluntary work and continue to work every day contributing our part to technological development in this country because we are convinced that Nicaragua has sufficient human and spiritual potential to build a just and free for all people who inhabit it. We
clear, however, we need a lot to achieve the goals we set ourselves and we maintain our standing invitation open to individuals and institutions interested in information and communication technologies to collaborate and work together, depending on interest common and shared.
In particular, we make available to El Nuevo Diario and other media experiences and knowledge about the issues of information and communication technologies, in order to enrich the public debate and transparent.
software Red Libre and Open Source Nicaragua (RSLCAN) - Linux User Groups in Nicaragua (GUL-NIC)
September 30, 2008
In defense of free software and other civil rights
Network Free Software and Open Source Nicaragua (RSLCAN) and Linux User Groups Nicaragua (GUL-NIC), both member organizations of the community of free and open source software that encompasses hundreds of men and women interested in defending citizens' rights in environments mediated by information and communication technologies and the widespread use free software, we use our right of reply in relation to the article entitled " CSE vulnerable," which was published in The Nuevo Diario on Monday September 29th of this month, and signed by Angelica Martinez.
First, recognize and share the concern of El Nuevo Diario improve the efficiency and safety of public institutions, specifically with regard to public information to manage these entities, while inappropriate use can be detrimental for and citizens.
In this regard, we also recognize as valid the interest mentioned in the print media to highlight the potential vulnerabilities of the website of the Supreme Electoral Council, and that, if confirmed, they could pose a threat to the security and privacy of persons whose data are safeguarded by the electoral authority.
However, we believe that the article in question lacks adequate depth research for addressing these issues as complex and delicate, as it gives a high truth value the opinions of strangers even in the underworld of the so-called "hackers" . Let's examine some of them.
The informant identified as "Anonymous" says: "I would further recommend that [the CSE server] is not free software (Linux), whatever they say, that Windows is less secure, not so."
First, the belief that free software is only the Linux operating system responds to a dull and limited on new information and communication technologies. Today there are hundreds of free software applications running on different platforms such as Java, FreeBSD and even Windows itself, which is a free operating system.
On the other hand, claim that Windows owns Linux is more secure than free is not serious and quite irresponsible. There have been many tests to compare the safety of existing operating systems in which Linux distributions have exceeded those of Windows
Later, the same respondent "Anonymous" says: "A hacker who knows the software, how operates and how it is encoded (features that make it free), have more opportunity to have the attack to succeed. / I have seen here in Nicaragua, hackers break in and several sides, and most attacks are where there is a server software free. "
The fact that someone living in a house with walls and roof transparent glass is no guarantee that a burglar may be searched and steal what's inside. The ability to access the source code of a software application does not in any public way that provides the key to potential intruders. The logic of the code open rather facilitates the audit of the software before potential failures or deficiencies and the resulting modification to improve it quick and easy. Internally
our organizations (RSLCAN, GUL-NIC) have discussed the technical and, above all, ethical, various attacks carried out in Nicaragua and websites proudly confirm that most of these sites are servers based on free software, a situation that is widespread throughout the internet (according to a survey conducted by Netcraft in the month of September, 50.43% of the world's servers use Apache, a free software. Further details through link below http://news.netcraft.com/
However, "Anonymous" recognizes a complementary manner that "now, the safety of the CSE data base should be well defined for consultation only and do not leave it open, because the hacker can put something malicious. / As an administrator, not leave open for the user to type in a field with existing wildcards (characters used in programming). "
With that statement, the respondent acknowledges that the safety of the CSE database derived from the application used to operationalize the data and make it publicly available through the free server. You further acknowledge that failure security are rooted in the human factor (System Administrator) when it makes inappropriate settings and opens the door, facilitating the work of any "malicious hacker."
There are other statements that are technically and politically contestable, but for reasons of time and space do not address in this communication.
The RSLCAN and GUL-NIC voluntary work and continue to work every day contributing our part to technological development in this country because we are convinced that Nicaragua has sufficient human and spiritual potential to build a just and free for all people who inhabit it. We
clear, however, we need a lot to achieve the goals we set ourselves and we maintain our standing invitation open to individuals and institutions interested in information and communication technologies to collaborate and work together, depending on interest common and shared.
In particular, we make available to El Nuevo Diario and other media experiences and knowledge about the issues of information and communication technologies, in order to enrich the public debate and transparent.
software Red Libre and Open Source Nicaragua (RSLCAN) - Linux User Groups in Nicaragua (GUL-NIC)
September 30, 2008
