Linux Foundation Takes Web Security and Encryption Platform Under its Wing

The Linux Foundation has its sights set on putting reliable open source technology at the center of the web security and encryption scenes. The nonprofit organization announced that it will host the Internet Security Research Group (ISRG) and its Let's Encrypt open certificate authority platform. It is a free, automated and open security certificate authority that is billed as "for the public's benefit." Let's Encrypt allows website owners to obtain security certificates within minutes, purportedly enabling a safer web experience for all.

Akamai, Cisco Systems, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Mozilla and other organizations are backing the effort. 

As The VAR Guy notes:

"The Internet Security Research Group has operated independently since its founding in 2014, with Josh Aas of Mozilla serving as its executive director, and representatives of several other major open source organizations on its board. The Linux Foundation's agreement to take over hosting the project will give the initiative a new credential within the open source community, however."

Indeed, The Linux Foundation also has a proven track record in driving open source technology forward and fostering its acceptance.

"While the web has been a part of our lives for decades now, the data shared across networks is still at risk," said Jim Zemlin, executive director at The Linux Foundation. "By hosting this important encryption project in a neutral forum we can accelerate the work towards a free, automated and easy security certification process that benefits millions of people around the world."

"Encryption should be the default for the web," said Josh Aas, executive director, ISRG. "The web is a complicated place these days; it's difficult for consumers to be in control of their data. The only reliable strategy for making sure that everyone's private data and information is protected while in transit over the web is to encrypt everything. Let's Encrypt simplifies this."

Last year, The Linux Foundation delivered its launch of the Core Infrastructure Initiative. It was designed to bolster the security of OpenSSL, the open source Web encryption platform that was exploited to unleash the infamous Heartbleed bug. It's good to see that the foundation remains committed to open source security solutions.

To learn more about Let's Encrypt and get involved, you can visit: https://letsencrypt.org/getinvolved/