Open Source Software Compliance within the Government

Abstract

Open Source Software (OSS) has become increasingly popular for software development, and subsequently, government usage has increased. This report outlines a process to manage the risks and complexity of OSS usage within the government. The first step in managing OSS licenses is to understand the requirements regarding compliance, distribution, sharing, attribution, compatibility, termination, copyright, and intellectual property. In order to maintain license compliance, a policy must be created and administered. This policy includes a process of OSS discovery, cataloging, evaluation, review, and approval. Specific guidance is also provided to aid with government acquisitions and contracts as well as information assurance and security compliance requirements. With proper understanding, process implementation, and policy maintenance, the government can effectively use OSS without compliance concerns.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 2016
Accession Number
AD1027801

Entities

People

  • Lauren A. Eckert

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Cyber
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acquisition
  • Computer Programming
  • Computer Programs
  • Computers
  • Contracts
  • Governments
  • Information Assurance
  • Information Systems
  • Intellectual Property
  • Law
  • Open Source Software
  • Patents
  • Procurement
  • Security
  • Software Development
  • Test And Evaluation
  • United States Government

Fields of Study

  • Computer science

Readers

  • Defense Financial Management and Audit.
  • Irregular Warfare and Special Operations Cyberspace Operations against Adversarial Threats.
  • Library and Information Science