Secrecy For many, secrecy is equivalent to security. If source code is left open for anyone to peruse, any hacker could insert malicious code into the source. Since the product is fully out in the open, it is easier for hackers to find holes and bugs in the product for exploit. The truth, however, is that there is little security gained from secrecy. Source code is closed, not for security in commercial products, but for business and proprietary reasons.
Hackers still find bugs and exploits in both open and closed source.
In fact, hackers probably have better debugging, analysis, and reverse engineering tools than most developers. With open source, the hope is that bugs will be found more often by the community and fixed quickly, before they are widely exploited. In cases of closed source code, security exploits are often under publicized, go unnoticed, and may not be fixed until future product releases. Often, the opening of code formally closed leads to the discovery of new or different holes or bugs. Any piece of software or hardware could deliver malicious code.