OpenSSL Announces New Governance Structure and Welcomes Two New Projects

The OpenSSL Project, the custodian of the open-source OpenSSL software library used for secure communication over the internet, is announcing a change in its governance structure designed to foster greater community involvement and more closely align with its Mission and Values.

NEWARK, Del. - July 24, 2024 - PRLog -- The OpenSSL Project, the custodian of the open-source OpenSSL software library used for secure communication over the internet, is announcing a change in its governance structure designed to foster greater community involvement and more closely align with its Mission and Values.

Changes in the governance structure:

• New Governance Framework: OpenSSL includes two independent, co-equal entities to support the Mission: the OpenSSL Foundation and the OpenSSL Corporation. The Foundation primarily focuses on non-commercial communities, while the Corporation primarily focuses on commercial communities. This balanced approach ensures both entities can operate independently and make decisions autonomously.
• Board of Directors and Members: The OpenSSL Management Committee (OMC) has been dissolved, and two boards of directors have been elected for the Foundation and the Corporation. There are ten voting members for each organization. These boards share all the responsibilities and authorities of the former OMC co-equally.
• Community Advisory Committees: To further engage our communities, we are establishing two advisory committees for each entity: a Business Advisory Committee (BAC) and a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). The communities will elect the members of the BACs and TACs, creating a direct channel for community input in roadmap development and reflecting the diverse perspectives of OpenSSL's communities.
• New Projects Under OpenSSL Mission: The Bouncy Castle and cryptlib projects have adopted the OpenSSL Mission and Values. Both projects are renowned cryptographic libraries that bring valuable expertise and resources to our mission, broadening the scope and impact of our work. Collaboration between the OpenSSL Library, Bouncy Castle, and cryptlib will benefit all our communities.

• Business Advisory Committees for both entities will be established by the end of October 2024.
• Technical Advisory Committees will be established by the end of April 2025.
• The OpenSSL Technical Committee will be dissolved after establishing all the Business and Technical Advisory Committees.
• An OpenSSL user conference will be held in Europe in the last quarter of 2025.