As you all know, OpenOffice is a suite of office applications where you can create everything, from text documents to complex spreadsheets, databases, and vector graphics. It is a very useful solution since, in addition to being free, it is open source, which implies having behind it a community that develops updates that we can download without paying a thing.
But how secure is OpenOffice, how vulnerable can my computer be if I install such a software package? The answer to these two questions is easily solved. Yes, OpenOffice is a completely secure program, and installing it on our computer is not going to put it in danger. This does not mean that they are infallible. Without going any further, a couple of years ago, a failure was found in its source code that let cybercriminals, through its modification, access our computers remotely.
This security hole affected OpenOffice versions 4.1.6. Currently, we can download later versions, so we will be free of danger, especially concerning that problem. There may be others, but for that, we must be prepared with a good antivirus installed.
The fact that OpenOffice is an open-source program is a double-edged sword: on the one hand, users benefit from getting a free office suite. On the other hand, they have to wait for other users to develop updates to fix the failures. And this can be delayed.
It is important, to be completely sure, that we download OpenOffice from official and reliable sources, either from its official website or from the servers of Malavida. As we always say in this type of case, we must be cautious and guided by common sense. Do not download the program from the first website you find or if it has been passed on to you by someone you do not know or do not trust. In the end, prevention is always the best cure.
