Cuba to United States: We'll Launch our own OS!

Cuba has debuted a new national Linux-based operating system dubbed "Nova."  As one might expect, Cuba claims that the move will help the country replace proprietary Microsoft software running on the nation's computers.  It almost sounds a little silly, but Cuba makes two noteworthy points as to why it's trying to purge this United States-based software from its networks.  Nor is this the first international body that's sought to replace Microsoft software with an open-source alternative.

According to Cuban officials, the switch is more intended to turn away from United States-backed software as opposed to specifically Microsoft.  They claim that governmental agencies would be able to infiltrate Cuban systems because they would could to pressure Microsoft to give up its "codes."  It's unclear whether Cuba expects U.S. officials to actually hack into Cuban databases, break through encryption measures, or any combination of nefarious activities.  Cuban officials also suggest that importing Microsoft software violates the U.S. trade embargo, an explanation for why Microsoft operating systems are allegedly more difficult to acquire for the island nation.

Hector Rodriguez, dean of the School of Free Software at Cuba's University of Information Sciences, told Reuters that he expects Linux to become the de-facto operating system on more than 50 percent of all Cuban computers within the next five years.  Whether this is the GNU/Linux distribution that Cuba has created, or a mix of this plus other distributions, these are high hopes -- according to Rodriguez, only 20 percent of Cuban computers now run an open-source operating system.

I can't help but wonder why Cuba would turn to an open-source solution in the name of security interests.  If Cuba is seriously distributing its own Linux version, what's to stop anyone in the United States--including the very officials Cuba fears would somehow access its Microsoft Windows operating systems--from poring over the entire source code itself?  It's not as if Linux is an impenetrable fortress. Vulnerabilities exist in operating systems of all shapes and sizes.  Open-source isn't a get-out-of-risk free card; it's a distribution concept.