LG wins ISO certification for open-source software security assurance

LG Electronics' corporate flag at the company's headquarters building in Seoul (Yonhap)

LG Electronics said Friday that it has been recognized as complying with the global standard for its open-source software security management system by a globally renowned nonprofit organization.

The South Korean tech giant was accredited by Linux Foundation’s OpenChain Project as the first firm in the global industry to certify the ISO/IEC DIS 18974 standard, the key requirements of a quality open-source security assurance program, LG officials said.

The company met all 30 security certification requirements, including the establishment of internal security policies, periodically updating security policies and using various tools for security testing when using open-source software with publicly available source code.

“LG Electronics has a long history in open source and a well-known open-source office,” OpenChain general manager Shane Coughlan said, highlighting that LG’s contributions to helping other companies has been an inspiration both in Korea and abroad.

In 2021, LG allowed outside developers to use its open-source software management tool -- the Free and Open Source Software Light. The move was part of the tech firm’s commitment to expanding cooperation and partnerships with others to accelerate the digital transformation trend.

LG's FOSSLight, which has been used since 2014 internally, is a system that can check the open-source compliance process. It can analyze a developer's software to verify whether it has followed license conditions and meets security requirements.

LG has diversified its portfolio with platforms and content by combining software capabilities in various businesses, from home appliances and TVs to electronics and business-to-business.

It looks to strengthen its business competitiveness by securing global-level competitiveness in security and stability of the open-source software supply chain, the company said.

"To further enhance the security of LG Electronics' products, we’ll enhance our open-source security management system throughout the product life cycle," said Park In-sung, the senior vice president at LG Electronics who also leads a software center.