---
title: "No IT security without Free Software"
date: 2019-09-14
categories:
  - english
  - presentation
tags:
  - Security
  - FSFE
headerimage:
  src: balccon-2019.jpg
  text: Picture of me giving the presentation at BalCCon 2019 in Novi Sad
  alt: Max Mehl during his presentation at BalCCon 2019 in Novi Sad, Serbia
  processes:
    - fill 1000x440 bottom webp
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SWijSFbMhg
slides: https://download.fsfe.org/presentations/20190914-mm-BalCCon-ITSec.en.pdf
event:
  name: BalCCon 2019
  href: https://2k19.balccon.org/events/325.html
---

At BalCCon 2019 in Novi Sad, Serbia, I delivered a talk arguing that real IT security is fundamentally impossible without Free and Open Source Software. BalCCon (Balkan Computer Congress) brings together security researchers, hackers, and technology enthusiasts from across the Balkans and beyond, making it a perfect audience for examining the deep connections between software freedom and security. The talk challenged the common assumption that security and openness are somehow in tension, arguing instead that transparency is a prerequisite for trustworthy security.

The presentation examined multiple dimensions of this argument: the security benefits of source code transparency, the danger of security through obscurity in proprietary systems, the importance of independent security audits, the problem of backdoors and undisclosed vulnerabilities, and the critical role of user control over their computing environment. I showed concrete examples where Open Source can resolve an ongoing tension between economic incentives and security needs without sacrificing either.

For the BalCCon audience, many of whom work directly in information security, this argument resonated strongly. The discussion explored how Open Source principles align with security best practices like defense in depth, least privilege, and verifiable trust. The talk reinforced that advocating for Free Software isn't just about philosophy or licensing -- it's about building secure systems in a fundamentally insecure world.
