Guardian Digital offers new Secure Linux server OS

Computerworld - Setting up a secure server isn't necessarily for the faint of heart.
To make it easier for IT administrators, Guardian Digital Inc. has released (download PDF) EnGarde Secure Linux Version 1.2, offering a secure server operating system for mail, Web and other servers, without the hassle of an intricate customization.
The idea, said Dave Wreski, business director for the Upper Saddle River, N.J.-based security vendor, is that by building a secure Linux operating system from the ground up with the latest Linux kernel, Guardian can create a high-security system that doesn't need lots of user intervention.
Instead of requiring system administrators to go through the program and disable services, as with many server operating systems, all services are turned off in the default installation. That gives companies quick control over their own network security, Wreski said.
Other Linux distributions could be made as secure as Guardian's version by writing additional code and making tweaks, he said. But each time those operating systems are patched, much of that customized code would be overwritten and would have to be redone. With EnGarde Secure Linux, tweaks wouldn't be needed to core security measures when patches are added, he said.
EnGarde Secure Linux includes mandatory access control to protect critical system files from hacker attacks, he said, while also including security-minded versions of other related applications, such as Apache Web server. The operating system doesn't include a graphical user interface.
Benjamin Thomas, Guardian Digital's project manager, said in a statement that a chief benefit of the operating system is that it gives IT departments "the ability to quickly and securely get online without requiring a Linux administrator or security engineer on staff, combined with the ability to build a robust intrusion detection device or firewall."
Pricing is $549 for the operating system for use on an unlimited number of servers under the open source General Public License. A separate workgroup suite with additional applications, including Webmail, file and print sharing for Windows and virtual private network support, is available for $49.95. Support and update services packages are available for $219 per year per server after a 60-day free trial.
Security analyst Eric Hemmendinger at Aberdeen Group Inc. in Boston said that offering secure operating systems has been tried before, but not always with success.
"Selling secure operating systems is tough," Hemmendinger said. "They don't make good general purpose platforms."
In the past, one reason for their lack of popularity has been that they can be tough to administer and require specialized skills, he said. Another problem, he added, has been that tweaks are often needed when installing popular business applications.