Red Hat is freeing up the source code behind its identity management and security system in a bid to show that open source software is more secure than rival technologies.

The Linux distributor is staking its future on fleshing out products beyond its popular operating system to ensure the continued uptake of open source by the business community.

Until now the only parts of the system freely available as open source code were the Apache web server and the Red Hat Directory Server.

The company said in a blog posting that the release of the code "further demonstrates Red Hat's belief that the open source development model creates more secure software".

The move is seen as offering a carrot to developers who will be more likely to embrace open source if they can more easily integrate their technology with Red Hat's security and network management products.

Red Hat highlighted the freeIPA project which it claimed would provide central management for machine and service digital certificates by integrating technology from the Red Hat Certificate System (RHCS).

"By incorporating technology from RHCS the freeIPA project will, over time, be able to centrally manage machine and service digital certificates including provisioning those certificates to the machine when it joins the identity, policy and audit realm and renewing them upon expiration," the firm said.

"This will enhance enterprise security by streamlining the use of certificates within the environment."