![] (/images/blog/ICMC23_Group_Photo.jpg “ICMC 23 Group Photo”)

As you may know the OpenSSL Project recently attended ICMC 23 where we were given the opportunity to update our peers about the rapid fundamental changes the project has gone through in 2023.

To summarize here are the key takeaways from our presentation:

Key takeaway 1 : Adopted a Mission and Values statement

“We believe everyone should have access to security and privacy tools, whoever they are, wherever they are or whatever their personal beliefs are, as a fundamental human right”

The OpenSSL Project adopted an official Mission and Values statement in February 2023. Mission and values are the bedrock of any organization, and by clearly establishing ours we are ensuring all future endeavors will be in support of our mission and values.

Key takeaway 2 : Project Dashboard

To further our commitment to transparency, we’ve introduced a Project Dashboard. This provides a clear view of our tasks, priorities, and the project’s direction. The dashboard will bridge the gap between OpenSSL’s internal workings and offer key insights into our decision-making process. Refer to the Project Board Handbook for more information.

Key takeaway 3 : Time Based Release Policy

We’re transitioning to time-based releases. This shift ensures predictability, allowing our users and developers to plan better and benefit from timely updates. The releases will be scheduled every April and October.

Key takeaway 4 : Release Steering Committee

One of our major initiatives is the introduction of the Release Steering Committee. Comprising both internal and external members, this committee ensures diverse perspectives shape OpenSSL’s direction. The Release Steering Committee symbolizes OpenSSL’s commitment to inclusivity and diverse perspectives. By inviting external members, the committee ensures a balanced approach to guiding OpenSSL’s direction.

Key takeaway 5 : Be Part of Our Journey

Community is the heart of open source software, and it is the heart of OpenSSL. We invite everyone to be a part of our journey. From joining our committees to participating in discussions, there are numerous ways to collaborate with us.

We have an open invitation for the community to share thoughts, concerns, and suggestions at feedback@openssl.org

Key takeaway 6 : Bigger and Better!

As testament to our growth and the increasing interest in our project, we’re thrilled to announce that we’ve expanded our team. This includes almost doubling our core engineers and introducing new roles to better serve our community.

Key takeaway 7 : OpenSSL 3.2 and beyond!

We are eager to share our future plans with you. OpenSSL 3.2 is in the late stages of development, with the final release happening in October. The key new feature for this release is the introduction of QUIC MVP, a full fledged QUIC client with easy to use API for libSSL users.

Features for OpenSSL 3.3 and beyond have yet to be approved by the Release Steering Committee, however here is a list of possible new features to look for:

• QUIC Server API
• Further performance optimizations – decoders, avoiding locks
• EVP_SKEY – abstract interface for symmetric keys in providers
• Further provider API enhancements

If you have any questions or comments please contact us at feedback@openssl.org