The recent release of EnGarde Secure Linux Community Edition reminds us that there are all sorts of Linux flavors out there for the enterprise to sample. From the heavy-duty clustering distros to the sleek one-purpose versions of Linux, there is quite possibly a distribution for any specific task you might want to tackle as an administrator.

EnGarde Secure Linux, designed to be a massively secure Linux platform, definitely falls towards the more specialized end of the distribution spectrum. Its Guardian Digital makers have consistently maintained their focus on this purpose for the product, and so far, the results are coming along nicely.

But how did their idea of a single-purpose distribution take root?

"Early on, we received a call from one of our colleagues at a customer's location implementing a Windows server for their public Web services," said Dave Wreski, CEO of Guardian Digital. "Their trouble was that they hadn't taken the necessary precautions to protect themselves against the security vulnerabilities at the time. The server was hacked just thirty minutes after it was installed. The consultant for the company informed the customer, and they both chose to bring in Guardian Digital immediately," Wreski said.

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Related items

• Article: EnGarde Secure Linux Community Edition released (28 April 2003)