The Openssl Software Foundation

OpenSSL
The OpenSSL Foundation is a non-profit organization that supports the OpenSSL Project, which provides open-source tools for cryptography and secure communication. The Foundation focuses on non-commercial communities, such as individual developers, academic institutions, and open-source distributions, while its sister organization, the OpenSSL Corporation, handles commercial communities[1][5][6].

Support and Funding

The Foundation relies on donations and sponsorships from individuals, organizations, and governments that extensively use OpenSSL. Major sponsors include companies like Amazon Web Services, Cisco, Google, IBM, Microsoft, and The Linux Foundation. These contributions help maintain and enhance the security infrastructure provided by OpenSSL[2][6].

Activities

The Foundation manages fundraising, application development, security response handling, contributor license agreements, and community engagement. It also oversees the development of cryptographic libraries and protocols like SSL/TLS to ensure secure online communication[1][6][7].

Other Standards Promoted

In addition to SSL/TLS protocols, OpenSSL supports cryptographic algorithms (e.g., AES, RSA) and promotes related open-source projects like Network Time Protocol (NTP) and OpenSSH through collaborative initiatives[2][7].
Sources [1] OpenSSL is hiring - Fundraiser https://openssl-library.org/post/2024-07-24-fundraiser/ [2] OpenSSL Gets Funding After Heartbleed - BankInfoSecurity https://www.bankinfosecurity.com/openssl-gets-funding-after-heartbleed-a-6893 [3] Customising OpenSSL for the Real World - Open Source For You https://www.opensourceforu.com/2015/03/customising-openssl-for-the-real-world/ [4] Blog | OpenSSL Corporation https://openssl-corporation.org/post/ [5] OpenSSL Library Bylaws https://openssl-library.org/about/bylaws/ [6] OpenSSL Foundation https://openssl-foundation.org [7] OpenSSL - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenSSL [8] Trademark Policy | OpenSSL Library https://openssl-library.org/policies/general/trademarkpolicy/ [9] New Governance Structure and New Projects under the Mission https://openssl-foundation.org/post/2024-07-24-openssl-new-governance-structure/