Open Source Summit + Embedded Linux Conference North America 2026

In the context of secure systems, "transparency" is often a loaded term. We will propose a precise definition: the guarantee of discoverability and auditability. Transparency is the difference between a system that merely claims to be secure and a system that provides proof of its security claims.

This session offers a high-level primer on the principles of cryptographic transparency. We will discuss how to design transparent applications and explore the tooling available to create tamper-evident systems. We will examine how this pattern has already been used, from Certificate Transparency providing auditability for web PKI, Binary Transparency securing software delivery, and Key Transparency hardening messaging applications. We will demonstrate how transparency can be applied for emerging frontiers as well, such as AI model provenance and news authenticity.

Finally, we will discuss the ongoing specifications work to standardize transparency primitives and highlight opportunities to participate. Attendees will leave with a clear mental model for transparency by design, ready to build systems where accountability is a default feature, not an afterthought.