A Big Win For Open-Source Security Software At IBM

IBM has re-published an 87 page report detailing the testing of various open-source security software solutions on their network. Here’s an excerpt:

An IBM report that tested the suitability of Linux software to secure an network its entirety has come to light months after it was originally published. Tested over three months at IBM’s Linux Test Integration Center (LTIC) by a seven-person team, the 87-page report set out to test a wide range of open-source Linux products supported by IBM to see whether they could adequately protect a middleware environment. Only open source products were used. The answer to this question was a resounding “yes”, backed up by detailed technical description of the specification and configuration of the systems used in the testbed. Where alternative products were available to do a similar job, the report makes technical comparisons and comes up with judgments on their respective merits. Security functions looked at included network, web and host-based intrusion detection system (Snort, Hogwash, ModSecurity, PortSentry Port Scan Attack Detector), Firewalling (iptables/netfilter), logging/auditing (Lire and Swatch), authentication (OpenSSH, MIT Kerberos), remote scan (nmap and Nessus), and system hardening (Bastille Linux).