Subject: Re: NetBSD US Government Certified?
To: None <netbsd-advocacy@NetBSD.ORG>
From: MLH <MLH@goathill.org>
List: netbsd-advocacy
Date: 08/05/2003 18:14:48
On 5 Aug 2003 08:15:01 -0500, Mike Cheponis wrote:
> Does NetBSD have a US Government security certification like Linux and
> Windows have?

Let's read between the lines here:

> 2 Companies to Announce U.S. Clearance for Linux Security
> 
> In a step to help the Linux operating system gain popularity
> among government and corporate users, I.B.M. and SuSE Linux plan
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 (among bureaucrats)
> to announce today that they have security certification for Linux
> from the United States government, a first for the free system.
>
> The government, under the direction of the Pentagon's defense
> information agency, has revamped its certification process in the
> last year to improve the security of computer systems as part of
            ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
           (to improve the bureaucratic organizational control of)
> the effort to strengthen homeland security.
             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
            (to provide excuses for increased bureacractic spending)
>
> The program, called Common Criteria certification, posed a
> potential hurdle to the use of Linux in government data centers
> because such certification programs are costly and time-consuming.
                                          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
> The government's security standard, analysts say, may well also
> influence corporations as a kind of seal of approval as they look
                            ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
			   (the beginning of an expensive, required
  licensing system, designed entirely to provide more income and
  control opportunities for Government bureaucrats)

The more organizations who buy into this licensing scan, the more
power it provides to be controlled by it. Are you sure you want to
travel down this road?