Open-Source Software

Theme 1

We have seen that over the past few years, the integration of technology in everyday lives
of people has been increasing at an increasing rate [ CITATION Mel14 \l 1033 ]. After the
recent pandemic, we can clearly observe the trend and say that technological integration
has increased exponentially[ CITATION Ric20 \l 1033 ].

Open source software’s are generally referred to as a software in which the user has been
given the right under the terms of use, to inspect the code, use the code for analyzing
purposes and forward/redistribute it after modifying it[ CITATION Geo12 \l 1033 ]. Common
examples of open source software’s (OSS) include Mozilla Firefox, Android, OpenOffice etc.
In simpler terms, anyone can inspect the code of the software, edit parts of it and
improve/add features to it.

During this pandemic, we have seen that the interaction between people and their
governments has reduced and thus a lot of the government practices have shifted online to
maintain this reduced interaction. During this time, we have also observed an increase in
the usage of open source software’s by multiple governments[ CITATION Ser20 \l 1033 ].
These include China, Russia, UK and Canada. Australia is another country which is looking to
shift more towards an OSS system.

Like everything, shifting to an OSS has its positives and its negatives and before completely
relaying on it, it is important for the government to analyze both sides of the coin[ CITATION
Fra19 \l 1033 ].

One of the biggest advantages of using an open source software is that the government can
very easily monitor the functionality of their systems as well as constantly improve and
evolve the code[ CITATION Vis12 \l 1033 ]. This is something which is essential, as when
serving millions of people, the government needs to make sure that their IT systems are
reliable and robust, if they rely on proprietary software’s, they will have to rely on a third
party to ensure the smooth running of it and will have less control over the code of the
software.

Another major benefit of using an open source software is that for the government, the cost
is relatively low[ CITATION Vis12 \l 1033 ], and it can help the government reduce budgets
allocated for IT and use that money elsewhere. This is because if the government goes for a
custom-built software or a proprietary software, it will have to pay a hefty amount for it.
Although an OSS is not free of cost, but the overall costs associated with using and
maintaining it are lower and hence favorable for the government.

Moving on, it is easier for technicians to train and familiarize themselves with the software.
This is because the code is easily available and they can study and learn that[CITATION
Anj13 \l 1033 ], when in contrast, the code for a proprietary software would not be that
readily available.

Adding to this, an open source software also helps the government to not be reliant on a
single vendor, which would be the case if they signed up to use a proprietary software. This
means that if the government is thinking for a long term solution, an OSS would be better
suited[ CITATION Fra19 \l 1033 ] because even if the initial supplier is not available, the
government will have the option to manipulate the codes themselves; a luxury which they
would not have in the case of having another type of software.

Furthermore, having control over their systems can also provide extra security to the
confidential data of the government. This way, the code can and will be regularly checked
and any possibilities of ‘backdoor’ entry into the system would be checked out and audited
by multiple users[ CITATION Ash12 \l 1033 ]. This makes an OSS more secure, and thus
defense systems are one of the most common places in the government where an OSS is
used. It also takes control away from one particular party and hence reduces the risk of
information spread. Lastly, if the government uses OSS, it will help in faster data transfer as
well because the systems in different departments would be homogenous[ CITATION
Why17 \l 1033 ]. This could be a government to citizen system or within different arteries in
the government; it would make the data transfer more fluid.
All in all, using open source software’s will not only help the government in functional
aspects, but it would also help the government remove the negative association citizens
have of government departments, by providing a more cost effective and timely solution to
citizens.

However, there are certain downsides to employing an open source software to the
government.

Firstly, for an open source software, new versions are slower[ CITATION CHR17 \l 1033 ].
That’s because there is not any specific request, nor is there any fixed timeline for regular
updates. This can lead to the software getting obsolete after a few years. The major focus is
on improving the current software but that leads to overlooking of difficult features, and not
providing them thus the proprietary software is better equipped in these cases.

Moreover, the greatest advantage for an open source software, is also its biggest
disadvantage. As everyone has the ability to inspect and modify the code, if a person or a
community changes the code[ CITATION Mel141 \l 1033 ], there is a possibility it might not
suit your needs. That is possibly the greatest drawback.

Furthermore, for an open source software, it is difficult to get technical support as

compared to a proprietary software. Even if the support is there, it is usually not up to the
standards that they need it to be. In addition to this, another problem with an open source
software is that they might not always be there[ CITATION GRE19 \l 1033 ]. There can be
cases that the community originally writing the code and maintaining it responsibly
eventually stops, it will then become the responsibility of the organization and that can lead
to issues and make the software vulnerable.

Lastly, the risk associated with respect to viruses and malicious code is also
higher[ CITATION The17 \l 1033 ]. That is because anyone can update the code and that
increases the risk of downloading a code with an existing problem. This can create problems
for the firm using those software’s.
Overall, we can see that there are both, pros and cons of using an open source software, but
from the evidence given above, it seems that there are more benefits to the government in
using an OSS in certain departments.

The open source software can be used in different areas of the federal government. These
include Defense, Finance, Judiciary and the Interior ministry. They can all use certain open
source software’s and improve their systems. Australia also uses open source software’s and
can further the usage after seeing troubling times during the pandemic.

If we talk about Defense systems in the federal government, it is one of the most important
aspect and requires the most security, as well as fluidity in the government. The US Military
uses Linux software’s which is an open source software[ CITATION Dod18 \l 1033 ]. That is
because in an OSS has an open code which is continuously being checked and fixed and thus
improves any shortcomings of the software. The open source software is also more secure
and reduces the risk of being hacked[ CITATION Vis12 \l 1033 ], thus making it a better
option for the military to use. Adding to this, in the defense network of a country, it is
essential that communication is secure and seamless, that is something which an OSS
provides. Another option for an open source software which Australia can use is Mil-
OSS[ CITATION Mil17 \l 1033 ]. It is designed specifically for military use and has the features
required available.

Moreover, the military also requires software’s for geo-mapping of locations. They can use
OSSIM software for that purpose. Other software’s which they can use include OMAR and
Optics. All of these software’s are better suited, more efficient and more secure, thus a
government can employ these and use it in its defense function.

Another department of the government which can use open source software’s is the
Finance Ministry. This is another core function of the government. The department has
various responsibilities but one of the most important is to look at the projections and
trends in an economy and base their decisions of big data. That requires a lot of fast
processing and the government would need secure software’s to handle the data. Another
aspect would be that the government needs to coordinate with banks and make sure the
financial rules and regulations are followed[ CITATION JEF18 \l 1033 ]. To maintain this on a
government front is essential.

The government can also use these software’s to maintain records of their citizens. This is
helpful in the case when they are monitoring the unemployed and giving them
unemployment benefits[ CITATION ALE11 \l 1033 ]. It can help improve the process and
make it more efficient and cost effective. The software can be installed in a number of
places to improve the response rate and the timeliness of transactions. The software’s that
the government currently uses and can incorporate in their system include Clarity OSS, One
stop systems and Yahoo Finance.

Furthermore, the Australian government can also use OSS in the Judiciary department.
Incorporating technology in different aspects is the key and judiciary or the legal system is
an important function which should be integrated with technological services. The
technology used here would be more towards aiding the common citizen. In the Judiciary
system, open source software’s can be used for the following purposes. First of all, it can
help people keep a track and progress of their private cases. They can be regularly updated
with different hearings and can also submit documents online if necessary. Using an OSS
would be key as that way, everyone will have access to it[ CITATION Jam12 \l 1033 ].

Moreover, the legal system can also use this to notify the public about the general cases and
keep regular updates. They can also use these systems to notify the government and
different sectors of the government about the results of cases to enforce legal action
wherever necessary and work in support and correspondence of the government. Because
the system is spread out and widely used, being on an OSS will greatly help the government
as that will improve the coordination and quicken the entire process. They can use
software’s such as Casefox, Clinic Cases and Jarvis Legal. This will help government reach out
to people who need help in a case (assistance in terms of lawyers etc) and provide them
with consultation and the whole process will be considerably cheaper to the government
and be much more effective.
Lastly, the government can use and integrate OSS into their interior ministry. This is a really
important function of the government as this is related to public security and emergency
management. The level of coordination required between departments here, and the
assistance needed to people is really high. It is absolutely essential that the communication
lines here are very fluid and there are no shortcomings.

The main use would be the access given to the public to be able to able to reach out to the
government if needed and to coordinate between the different departments when
required. The ministry needs to maintain transparency with the public. They can use
software’s such as NextCloud and PermaLink.

The healthcare sector of the government is another which can be greatly affected by OSS
and should be integrated in it. These include CTAKES, OPEN MRS and OPEN EMR.

The Australian government has certain rules and policies regarding the use of open source
software’s[CITATION Aus11 \l 1033 ]. This is really important as it will maintain transparency
and in an event of something unusual and unanticipated, there would something to look
back to. This will also help ensure the government that no unfair practices are carried out
and people follow a certain rule for it.

Overall, we can see that when we talk about an open source software, there are positives
and negatives of it, like every other thing, and it comes down to the fact that what is that
the government want from a system but the evidence supports and suggests that shifting to
an OSS is the better option for the government[ CITATION Ope13 \l 1033 ] as that can be
used, and is already being used, in various core government functions and the positives of
using an OSS are far greater and outweigh the cons of using an open source software.

During these challenging times, we have seen governments adapt and evolve, and as the
world will come out of this pandemic changed, the outlook of government departments will
also be greatly varied and shifting towards incorporating more technology into these
departments, and ensuring security and reduced costs would not only help to gain the
support of the populace, but would be a decision aligning with the future.
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