UK Government Digital Service Criticizes NHS Decision to Abandon Open Source
open-source
| Source: Mastodon | Original article
UK's NHS retreats from open-source tech amid vulnerability concerns.
The UK's Government Digital Service (GDS) has weighed in on the National Health Service's (NHS) decision to retreat from open-source software, citing concerns over vulnerability risk. As we reported on May 17, the NHS had announced plans to close nearly all of its open-source repositories in response to reported vulnerabilities. However, the GDS has now publicly recommended that the UK public sector remain "open by default", pushing back against the NHS's decision.
This matters because open-source software is widely used in the public sector, and closing off access to repositories could hinder collaboration and innovation. The GDS guidance emphasizes the importance of safely publishing and maintaining open-source code, and provides recommendations for managing vulnerability risk. The move is seen as a rare public pushback against the NHS's decision, and highlights the ongoing debate over the role of open-source software in the public sector.
As the situation unfolds, it will be important to watch how the NHS responds to the GDS's guidance, and whether other public sector organizations follow suit. The outcome could have significant implications for the use of open-source software in the UK public sector, and may set a precedent for other countries to follow. With the GDS challenging the NHS's retreat from open-source, the future of open-source software in the public sector remains uncertain.
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