Sometimes very simple misconceptions cause the most trouble. It is possible that in the popular mind, "open source" means that Linux, for example, is like a twig in a mighty river constantly buffeted by anonymous and unpredictable forces. If you install Linux, for example, who knows, maybe the next day some hacker will have changed it because it's open source.
Now, of course, that's rubbish, but to a regulatory agency, it would have to be spelled out why it's rubbish. The fact that the source is open does not mean that anyone can change it if you don't want them to. I again call attention to what I believe is a very large, almost gigantic, canary in the coal mine: the NSA SELinux project. http://www.nsa.gov/selinux/news.html Recall that the National Security Agency has the largest computer budget on earth and employs the most applied mathematicians. "Security" is their middle name. Well, isn't it then of the most compelling interest that they have a secure linux program? It sure isn't SEWindows, now is it? You can fool all of the people some of the time, but fooling the NSA is slightly more challenging.
