IBM and SuSE win key Linux security cert

IBM and Novell's SuSE Linux have gained a key security certification for their combined systems that will help drive Linux acceptance in government and US Department of Defense contracts.

Adding to the security certification the pair gained last August, this assures government agencies around the world that the combined products have been tested against strict standards for features including security functionality and the handling of security vulnerabilities.

"This further underscores government confidence in Linux," said James Sterlings, general manager for Linux at IBM.

The certification, called Controlled Access Protection Profile under the Common Criteria for Information Security Evaluation (CAPP/EAL3+), is for SuSE's Enterprise Server 8 software with Service Pack 3 running on four IBM server platforms.

When the pair gained EAL2+ last August it was the first security certification for Linux. But it was confined to the IBM eSeries xServer platform.

The latest certification crosses the IBM eServer product line, comprising the iSeries, xSeries, pSeries and zSeries systems.

Big Blue maintained that even before this latest certification it has found significant interest in Linux from government agencies.

"IBM has almost 200 government agencies as Linux customers around the world," said Irving Wladawksy-Berger, general manager at IBM's E-Business on Demand group.

The server software and hardware products of SuSE and IBM were evaluated for Atsec Information Security and accredited by the German Federal Office for Information Security.

IBM and SuSE also announced Common Operating Environment (COE) compliance on the IBM xSeries and zSeries platforms with the SuSE Enterprise Server 8. COE is a specification created by the US Department of Defense.

"The COE clears SuSE Linux on IBM to be installed in Department of Defense offices around the world," said Sterlings.

Later this year, IBM and SuSE plan to pursue the next level of security certification, known as CAPP/EAL4+.

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