“Linux is everywhere these days. That cute little penguin stares
out at you from almost every Web site, bookstore and computer
store; even such office supply superstores as Staples are stocking
Linux. Despite this month’s release of Windows 2000 (see
Roundtable), a recent IDC study shows that Linux commercial
shipments will continue to grow at a faster rate than other
client/server OSes. This means that more and more of your end-users
will be tempted to take it for a test-drive on your private
network. Why suffer with Windows and Office, they ask themselves,
when they can run Linux and open-source software for nothing? It’s
cheaper, it’s better, it’s faster. Or so the advocates claim.”
“Who knows? For end-users, Linux may be a better platform
than Windows: more robust, more reliable and certainly less
expensive. But is Linux more secure? Don’t bet your job on it.
A fresh Red Hat Linux installation is reasonably secure, but all
bets are off once Linux newbies start installing and configuring
applications and services that open gaping holes in your
organizational infrastructure.”
“Linux can be made to be far more secure than Windows desktops,
but there are serious security implications to consider as Linux
migrates to the mainstream. Whether your users are turning obsolete
386 desktops into print servers, setting up Internet servers with
Apache or evaluating operating systems for enterprise-level
applications, you?ll need to understand the risks and the remedies
for Linux security.”