# The transformative role of open source in enabling security MaRS Discovery District embraces open source password management with Bitwarden. --- ## Overview [MaRS Discovery District](https://www.marsdd.com/) is a Canadian innovation and advisory accelerator offering services to over 1,400 Canadian science and tech companies at every stage of their growth, from startup to scale-up. Shane Rodness is a MaRS Discovery District Systems Administrator (sysadmin) with a passion for leveraging automation in exciting ways and creating more secure environments for the organization. Rodness, who has experience with LINUX and Mac and on-premises and cloud technologies, is particularly committed to embracing open source as a tool for enabling more secure environments. ### Watch the presentation [![YouTube Video](https://img.youtube.com/vi/m5kw381yBOo/maxresdefault.jpg)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5kw381yBOo) *[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5kw381yBOo)* *How open source can help organizations build more secure environments* > Visit [opensourcesecuritysummit.com](https://bitwarden.com/en-gb/open-source-security-summit/) to learn more about this annual conference. ## Table of Contents [Overview](https://bitwarden.com/en-gb/resources/the-transformative-role-of-open-source-in-enabling-security/#overview/) [Watch the presentation](https://bitwarden.com/en-gb/resources/the-transformative-role-of-open-source-in-enabling-security/#watch-the-presentation/) [SysAdmin Challenges + Open Source Opportunities](https://bitwarden.com/en-gb/resources/the-transformative-role-of-open-source-in-enabling-security/#sysadmin-challenges-open-source-opportunities/) [The evolution of open source security](https://bitwarden.com/en-gb/resources/the-transformative-role-of-open-source-in-enabling-security/#the-evolution-of-open-source-security/) [Get started with Bitwarden](https://bitwarden.com/en-gb/resources/the-transformative-role-of-open-source-in-enabling-security/#get-started-with-bitwarden/) ## SysAdmin Challenges + Open Source Opportunities Rodness says many sysadmins are confronting new challenges today. They include the pandemic-induced continuous shift in employee environments (which opens up new attack vectors) and tools and services used for digital transformation that have proven to be double-edged swords (see [SolarWinds breach](https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/feature/SolarWinds-hack-explained-Everything-you-need-to-know)). But as organizations adjusted to the pandemic and members of the IT security community came together to assess the vulnerabilities that led to the SolarWinds hack, they realized open source-generated patches were particularly effective.  “Open source has always been a gift for sysadmins and IT professionals everywhere,” says Rodness. “There are countless open source tools, services, and systems in place today that are used in virtually every environment already.” According to Rodness, there are four core benefits to open source: - [Community](https://bitwarden.com/en-gb/blog/community-guide/): Allows everyone who wants to contribute, participate, and give back to do so in an open and transparent way, benefiting everyone involved - Collaboration: In letting everyone contribute, people are working together to identify the best ideas and enhancing those ideas to strengthen existing projects and solve problems - [Transparency](https://bitwarden.com/en-gb/blog/why-open-source-delivers-transparency-and-security-for-enterprises/): The process is available for peer-review, which builds inherent trust - Access: Removing barriers gives individuals access to tools that may prove transformative ## The evolution of open source security The security challenges inherent in a modern, tech-driven society, coupled with the ability to leverage open source, has created an environment in which more companies are investing in those tools and development methods, creating a new standard in which open source is synonymous with security.  Bitwarden, says Rodness, is a prime example of a product that effectively leverages open source principles. Rodness believes Bitwarden is an incredibly powerful tool for organizations to have in their arsenals. The product strengthens the overall security posture of a company and has a superb [command line interface](https://bitwarden.com/en-gb/help/cli/) that can be used for a multitude of automations.  Other open source tools he favorably cites include Wazuh and ELK; OSQuery, which offers powerful endpoint monitoring; OpenSCAP, which assists with configuration benchmarking; and traditional industry benchmarks such as endmark, wireshark, and snort. These tools, says Rodness, continue to thrive and grow as more organizations embrace the open source philosophy.  As Rodness looks to the future, he believes the workplace landscape will continue to shift. He’s also interested in the push towards [passwordless](https://bitwarden.com/en-gb/blog/access-your-bitwarden-vault-without-a-password/) environments and aware that security threats will remain constant. With that, he continues to emphasize the proven benefit in utilizing open source. ## Get started with Bitwarden Ready to get started with Bitwarden? Sign up for a [free Bitwarden account](https://bitwarden.com/en-gb/pricing/), or register for a [7-day free trial of our business plans](https://bitwarden.com/en-gb/pricing/business/) to help keep your business and team safe online. ## Get powerful, trusted password security now. Pick your plan. ## Personal ### Just getting started? *Get basic password management today. Always free.* [Create Free Account](https://bitwarden.com/go/start-free/) --- ### Premium **$1.65** *per month* *Billed annually at $19.80* Enjoy premium features - Integrated authenticator - File attachments - Emergency access - Phishing blocker - Security reports and more Share vault items with one other user [Create Premium Account](https://bitwarden.com/go/start-premium/) --- ### Families **$3.99** *per month* *Up to 6 users, billed annually at $47.88* Secure your family logins - 6 premium accounts - Unlimited sharing - Unlimited collections - Organisation storage Share vault items between six people [Start Free Families Trial](https://bitwarden.com/go/start-families-trial/) --- Pricing shown in USD and based on an annual subscription. Taxes not included. ## Business ### Teams *For teams and growing companies that need to move quickly.* **$4** *per month / per user, billed annually* **No compromise** All Premium features, plus advanced capabilities such as: - Share credentials securely - Audit activity with event logs - Synchronise your existing directory - Automate provisioning with SCIM [Start Free Trial](https://bitwarden.com/go/start-teams-trial/) --- ### Enterprise *For businesses that need advanced protection and control.* **$6** *per month / per user, billed annually* **Maximum protection** All Premium and Teams features, plus enterprise-level capabilities such as: - Granular access control - Passwordless SSO integration - Easy account recovery - Flexibility to self-host - Access Intelligence risk remediation [new] - Free Families plan for all users [Start Free Trial](https://bitwarden.com/go/start-enterprise-trial/) --- ### Talk to Sales *For large organisations, talk to an expert about a tailored plan and learn how Bitwarden can:* *per month* - Reduce cyber security risk - Boost productivity - Integrate seamlessly Bitwarden scales with businesses of any size to bring password security to your organisation [Talk to Sales](https://bitwarden.com/talk-to-sales) --- Pricing shown in USD and based on an annual subscription. Taxes not included.