![]() ![]() “The entire structure behind this is pretty fragile,” said Krakenbürger. The problem is that these behind-the-scenes open source systems are often maintained by volunteers with day jobs who may lack the time and resources to keep them up to date, rather than big companies with the workforce to check them for errors. Firms and organisations scrambled to patch the flaw, with the Belgian Ministry of Defence forced to shut down part of its computer network in response. One consequence of this neglect hit in November last year when a cyber security team discovered the so-called Log4J vulnerability, which allowed attackers to leak sensitive information from computers. These technologies can include the protocols and systems running in the background that make the internet and email secure. “Whenever we use a piece of software there’s lots and lots of base technologies being used,” said Fiona Krakenbürger, a technology researcher who has helped scope out the fund for the German government. But supporters see it as a crucial first step to bolstering European resilience against internet security flaws, for example, that can cripple companies and research institutions. Initial backing of €3.5 million per annum for the fund is far less than campaigners hoped for. Germany is set to launch a sovereign tech fund to support the open source software that underpins the internet amid fears the US could withdraw support for this neglected but crucial building block of digital infrastructure.
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