Security Enhanced Linux, a “hardened†version of the open source software that was helped into existence by a US spy agency, is on the verge of gaining broad acceptance, a local developer says.
Kerry Thompson, an Auckland security consultant, says the pending release of the Fedora Core 2 distribution will introduce SELinux to mainstream Linux users. Fedora is sponsored by Red Hat and built upon Red Hat 9, and has been adopted by many of the former Red Hat community. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4, due early next year, will also include SELinux technology.
SELinux, produced by the National Security Agency, security companies and open source developers, extends the Linux kernel to include a mandatory access control (MAC) system, restricting access to system resources for users and programs. MAC makes it more difficult for a rogue user or program to take control of other processes, files or devices.
Link: Computerworld NZ
Category:
- Linux
