[Freegis-list] Protection vs. sharing

[Raphaël Jacquot]

Ian Turton wrote:
> On 3/1/06, *strk* <strk at keybit.net <mailto:strk at keybit.net>> wrote:
> 
>     It is sad that "open" software developers are working on data
>     "protection"
>     rather then data "sharing". Many times, when there are not big
>     "pushes" toward protecting things people inherit the policy that
>     software developers put into their tools.
> 
>     Software tools do can change the relations amongst human beings.
> 
> 
> I have to disagree here! There is no  inherent conflict between open 
> source code and digital rights management (DRM). If for example I'm 
> working with confidential data (like cancer or aids data) then I do  
> need to make it protected data - its confidential and should stay that 
> way but I need a way for distributed analysts to be able to share that 
> data in a secure way. I could write my own security code and modify say 
> GeoServer to implement my scheme, but I'm not really good at security 
> after all I'm a geographer. Then my data leaks on to the internet - news 
> at 11 open source software allows major privacy breach! This sort of 
> thing then sets back the uptake of open source mapping code, even though 
> I could have leaked the data faster using proprietary code.
> 
> So I think there are definite advantages to providing good GeoDRM and 
> security code. I "know" all data wants to be free but to be honest I'd 
> rather my medical records stayed confidential but that my doctors had 
> access to high quality secure open source code to analyse them.

in which case you are handling your security to the wrong layer.
you should setup your web server with a proper PKI and only allow access 
to those that have received a personnal certificate.

Raphael Jacquot