Information Security News mailing list archives
Why Linux Security Will Succeed
From: mea culpa <jericho () DIMENSIONAL COM>
Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2000 02:31:51 -0700
http://linux.com/security/newsitem.phtml?sid=11&aid=6702 Why Linux Security Will Succeed by Brian Martin - Sun, 30 Jan 2000 03:07:49pm There is no subtlety in the race to gain the exalted title of having the most secure operating system. Both sides of the virtual fence argue their preferred operating system is more secure by default installation. More often than not, these OS bigots spend more time knocking the other contenders down rather than arguing the strengths of their own OS. Some fanatics argue that their OS can be made more secure in the long run. When one is fighting a losing battle, shooting holes in the other side is often more effective than boasting of your own merits. In the war between Linux and its rivals, Linux is in a position to stand on its own positive features, and it does it well. Nothing to Hide A longtime trendsetter in the Open Source movement, Linux continues to bare all to friends and foes alike. Every day thousands of hobbyists and developers fiddle with every part of the operating system, finding new ways to improve on it. Some of this results in small fixes to make parts of the system more effecient. Others streamline the code while adding new features that allow more flexibility, while some fix bugs left by predecessors in a day where security was barely an issue. The key here is that anyone who has the whim or desire to scrutinize or improve the current code base can do just that. By offering the full source code to every piece of the operating system, linux developers around the world are putting their work on trial. With thousands of critical eyes, it stands to reason that any such bugs will be ferreted out in no time. On the other hand, closed source operating systems hide their foundation from the world, relying on security via obscurity to prevent vulnerabilities from being discovered and exploited. These closed source systems appear to be developed by companies more concerned with profit margins than secure and stable operating platforms. These Operating Systems tend to be written by programmers with the primary goal of making a sizeable salary, rather than the herds of developers working on open source operating systems for the love of the work. [snip..] ISN is sponsored by Security-Focus.COM
Current thread:
- Why Linux Security Will Succeed mea culpa (Feb 02)