linux safeguards

If you have friends and acquaintances who are Linux-obsessed, as I do, you'll probably want to share the following information with them. A good buddy of mine is constantly on his soapbox about how great Linux is, and I can usually agree with him, until he gets to the point where he basically makes a blanket statement that Linux is *perfect* and can do no wrong. In my estimation, no operating system can ever be perfect, but Linux definitely does offer some advantages over the competition, many of which fall into the realm of security and stability.

However, when your friend is on his soapbox, it may be wise to remind him that even Linux has its flaws, and he better be keeping an eye on those occasional security loopholes. Symark, for example, recently announced that their PowerBroker and PowerPassword UME access control solutions now take care of security gaps in more than thirty versions of Linux and Unix systems. Symark has been around since 1985. Those who commonly deploy HP's Integrity servers, for example, should be particularly interested in this security enhancement and how it pertains to the HP-UX 11i v3 operating system.

With Powerbroker, the oft-attacked "root" server account is better protected from external and internal threats, while their PowerPassword assist with managing Unix and Linux user accounts. A third offering, their PowerKeeper software deals with admin password storage and access control.

In a nutshell, it is never a good idea to have "blind faith" in any operating system. It's easy to get wrapped up in a brand or a logo, or a "stick it to the man" (or Microsoft) attitude. Even if you think you've found the unhackable, uncrackable OS, don't forget that nothing is impenetrable. Fortunately for most of us, there are companies like Symark with their password management software to cover our bases when we get a little too comfortable.