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2004-04-20 Home Front: WoT

The sorry state of FBIâs IT capability pre-9/11

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Posted by Super Hose 2004-04-20 2:42:55 AM|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Cost constraints.

They should just go to Linux now. One of the strengths of Linux is that it runs well on older lower capacity machines like the ones the FBI likely has. Another advantage is that most of the intelligence areas run a ton of stuff on Unix, and are using Linux now as well, giving them great interoperability. A third advantage is that NSA makes a Secure version of linux.

And the big one is that cost-wise, its cheap enough to get each and every desktop they have up an running on this without busting the budget -- and they will not be forced to relicense everything every 2 years at a cost of millions to Microsoft and millions in manpower costs to do the upgrades.

Posted by OldSpook 2004-04-20 9:05:46 AM|| 2004-04-20 9:05:46 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 OS, Plus, and this is a big plus, Linux is open source - everything in it is visible and thus can be verified, checked, and audited for secuity. You dont know what is in Microsoft products. Also it is not the hacking target of every script-kiddie out there.

Security by obscurity is no security at all.

Posted by CrazyFool 2004-04-20 9:15:47 AM|| 2004-04-20 9:15:47 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 I ran into one of my college buddies a year before 9/11. He was in the FBI. I wanted to stay in touch and asked him for his email. His answer: I don't have any. I assumed that he meant a home account, so I asked him for his work email. I almost fell over when he told me that the FBI didn't have email.

Posted by 11A5S 2004-04-20 9:17:02 AM|| 2004-04-20 9:17:02 AM|| Front Page Top

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