Granted by the Core Infrastructure Initiative launched by the Linux Foundation
Focusing on identifying and resolving security issues and vulnerabilities in the OpenStack project

OpenStack, an open source cloud software project, received the Best Practice Badge from the Core Infrastructure Initiative (CLI) launched by the Linux Foundation (LF).

The Core Infrastructure Initiative (CII), operated by the Linux Foundation, is a multi-million dollar project that provides funding and support necessary to develop core elements of global information infrastructure.

By being awarded the CII Best Practices badge, OpenStack has declared its commitment to security-focused development activities. OpenStack's CII project certification was spearheaded by the OpenStack security project team, including IBM Senior Security Architect Travis McPeak. More detailed information about the specific tests passed can be found on the OpenStack CII certification page (bestpractices.coreinfrastructure.org/projects/246).

McPick stated, “Open source is rapidly emerging as a core software strategy preferred by both enterprises and service providers,” adding, “They are seeking a third standard to evaluate the degree of adherence to best practices regarding security and stability. The rapid growth of the CII project has made it possible to meet these demands. This indicates that OpenStack developers are pursuing high-quality development, which enabled them to quickly earn the CII Best Practices badge.”

OpenStack security is the result of the collaboration of numerous developers to provide a robust, reliable, and secure cloud for public, private, and hybrid markets. The OpenStack security project and the internal vulnerability management team identify security issues and vulnerabilities across all OpenStack projects and coordinate the work necessary to mitigate and resolve them.

Determining software security is an industry-wide challenge, regardless of whether the software is proprietary or open source. As the role of open source software in supporting the world's most critical infrastructure becomes increasingly important, it has become essential to understand best practices regarding the security, quality, and safety of the code and to possess the ability to verify these standards.

Nicko van Someren, CTO of the Linux Foundation, stated, “OpenStack is becoming a cornerstone for deploying public and private clouds across the internet,” adding, “As the number of enterprises and critical infrastructure relying on open source increases, it is becoming increasingly important for projects like OpenStack to prioritize security during the development process.” “That is why I am very pleased that the OpenStack® open source cloud software project has received the Best Practices badge,” he added.

Project security resources can be found on the relevant website (www.openstack.org/software/security). If you wish to learn more about OpenStack cloud security, you can obtain useful information from MacPick and other user community experts at the OpenStack Summit held in Barcelona. More detailed information about the OpenStack Summit and registration details can be found on the website (https://www.openstack.org/summit/barcelona-2016/).