About the OpenSSL Corporation

The OpenSSL Corporation develops and maintains the OpenSSL Library along with the OpenSSL Foundation and a broad community of commercial and non-commercial contributors. The OpenSSL Library is one of the most widely used open-source libraries for cryptography and secure communication. The library is written in the C programming language and is used across operating systems, servers, embedded devices, and commercial products worldwide.

The OpenSSL Library is a robust, full-featured toolkit for general-purpose cryptography and secure communications. It implements a wide range of cryptographic algorithms and security protocols and is widely regarded as a foundational component of modern secure infrastructure. TheL OpenSSL Library is recognised within both the open-source and commercial security communities.

In addition to the OpenSSL Library, the OpenSSL Corporation supports and collaborates on related open-source projects, including OpenSSL Jostle, Bouncy Castle, cryptlib and other initiatives aligned with its Mission and Values.

All the OpenSSL Corporation supported projects are open-source and distributed under free licenses, with contributions from the wider community.

Activities

The mission of the OpenSSL Corporation is to advance secure and trustworthy cryptographic software through open development, collaboration, and responsible governance. Its primary focus includes cryptographic algorithms, security protocols, and all aspects of the OpenSSL Library and its deployment in real-world environments.

The OpenSSL Corporation engages with the wider security community through:

• Ongoing open-source development.
• Advisory Committees involving commercial and community stakeholders.
• Organisation of the OpenSSL Conference.
• Active participation in major international security and open-source conferences. Check our Events webpage here.

Collaboration among projects and contributors helps drive innovation, improve security practices, and address shared technical challenges.

Cooperation with FI MU

Since January 1, 2026, the OpenSSL Corporation has been a SME member of the Association of Industrial Partners of the Faculty of Informatics (FI), Masaryk University.

Our primary focus is on cryptographic algorithms, protocols and in general all aspects of the OpenSSL Library and its deployment.
All our projects are open-source under a free license, and we welcome contributions from anyone.

At FI MU, our principal partner is the Centre for Research on Cryptography and Security (CRoCS, crocs.fi.muni.cz), headed by Prof. Vashek Matyas.

The OpenSSL Corporation maintains an office in Brno (Kotlářská 989/51a), located within walking distance of the Faculty of Informatics, enabling close in-person collaboration with students and researchers.

The OpenSSL Corporation office during the grand opening

Bachelor and Master Theses

Our current focus is mainly on bachelor and master theses, with an overlap to academic research projects at the CRoCS laboratory.

For example, you can work on topics related to the OpenSSL Library, like:

• Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC): evaluation of new algorithms with providers, alternative implementations, and related topics.
• Constant-Time Algorithms Measurement: testing of generated code, and analysis of existing implementations.
• Performance Testing: this can include benchmarks, comparisons among cryptographic libraries, and code optimisation.
• Code Quality Improvement: new tests, continuous integration, fuzzing, static and dynamic analysis, and code hardening.
• Visualisation of Cryptographic Protocols: improve documentation, and help users to understand protocols and principles.

And also some supported projects, for example:

• OpenSSL Jostle
• Cryptsetup and storage encryption, authenticated encryption and integrity protection of block-oriented storage, fuzzing, forensic analysis of encrypted storage Testing of self-encrypting drives.

If you have any ideas and you cannot find a particular topic, do not hesitate to contact us and discuss it.
We are open to everyone and can provide valuable insights from our developers and community.

What we expect

However, cooperation with students has some rules, notably:

• You have to be able to work independently and take a proactive, effortful approach to learning new things.
• Everything you do will be open-source under a free license and must be written in English (including text, code, slides, or datasets).
• We expect regular and honest communication, typically through regular meetings with a supervisor or technical advisor. You can meet us in person in our Brno office, just a few minutes’ walk from FI MU.
• You should have at least a basic understanding of the C programming language (but it depends on the particular project topic).

From the OpenSSL Corporation

"I have been collaborating with the Faculty of Informatics for over ten years. It all started with a somewhat naive idea to pursue my doctoral studies here, focusing on the practical topic of disk encryption. Supervising thesis projects requires considerable effort from both sides. However, when a motivated student meets the right topic, the results go far beyond a graduation requirement and become part of major open-source projects. The OpenSSL Corporation offers exactly this kind of opportunity. It's not an easy path, but if you show initiative, the effort you invest will truly pay off."

Milan Brož, Software Engineer

"Secure cryptographic infrastructure depends on open development and careful review. Working with the Faculty of Informatics at Masaryk University connects academic research with real-world open-source work and helps strengthen Brno’s role in applied cryptography and security."

Anton Arapov, Director

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