• Guardian Digital Helps Provide IT Security to Sony Entertainment Group
  
  
• Guardian Digital Provides Secure Email and Internet Functions for Second Largest Natural Gas and Utility Company in the United States' Southeast Region

 In Every Issue

• In the News
• At A Glance
• Industry Note
• Mailbag
• Hints & Tips
• Partner Profile

Industry Note

Defending Open Source

There has been a lot of talk in the news lately about the downside to open source software. During this past month, I have seen the open source community blamed for everything from IT job loss to the fall of intellectual property, mostly coming from the Microsoft camp and avid Microsoft supporters. Yet in light of these claims, open source, especially Linux, continues to gain ground in the server market, is being adopted my government agencies all over the world, and is predicted to enjoy a substantial increase in market share in the coming years. Could these allegations be a last-ditch effort by proprietary giants to expose open source as an unhealthy alternative in order to protect the bank accounts of some of the largest commercial software corporations?

My suspicion is: yes. Knowing that Asia is becoming a large supporter of the open source community, Microsoft head Bill Gates turned his attention to the continent, strongly voicing his opinions against the adoption of open source, describing it as damaging. "If you don't want to create jobs or intellectual property, then there is a tendency to develop open source. It is not something you do as a day job. If you want to give it away, you work on it at night, "Gates said. The image of a proprietary programmer by day and open source developer at night working till the wee hours with nothing more to guide them then the glow of a computer monitor is highly primitive and is no longer the case for this rapidly developing and dynamic industry.

Companies including IBM, Red Hat, Novell and of course Guardian Digital fully utilize the open source model or have divisions that do, and as a result, are providing well-paying day jobs and long term careers for open source developers. That is correct, well-paying jobs. If thousands of open source developers are being employed by the largest software enterprises in the world, how is it that industry jobs are being lost? It seems to me that more jobs are lost when a near monopoly is formed and industry employees have no choice but to work for a single company.

Another unfounded argument brought to my attention was the accusation that open source causes the destruction of intellectual property. The truth is open source actually assists in the development of intellectual property by solving the problem of utilizing development resources to wastefully "reinvent the wheel". Since the source code is available to everyone, developers can use the code as a basis for their own technology allowing them more time to concentrate on next-generation developments. Open source technologies are left in the hands of the people that use them and allow those people to customize them to fit their own needs, promoting extensive application evolution.

Unfortunately statements such as these are not to keep the consumer informed, but are natural reactions of industry giants being confronted with formidable competition. With fear of lost market share and lower revenues looming over proprietary software vendors, it is no wonder open source and its supporters are consistently under such scrutiny. Whether its adversaries are realizing it or not, open source has earned its wings in the software industry and will continue to forcefully secure its spot in the mainstream.

Dave Wreski, CEO Guardian Digital, Inc.

Hints & Tips from Experts

Risk Assessment of IT Security

Security risk assessment is a method at which IT administrators identify individual assets, evaluate the value and sensitivity of information on the system, and work to understand potential risks to the integrity of that data. Performing a system-wide risk assessment gives administrators an important reference point for current system security and by periodically repeating this process; they can continually gauge the future security needs of the company.

Performing an accurate risk assessment could provide some insight on system areas that require a larger focus on security than others (i.e. business-critical applications); however, it is important to note that any network outfitted with inadequate security applications could be offering an invitation for potentially debilitating network exploitations. Bypassing even seemingly insignificant vulnerabilities can prove to be costly in downtime, recovery, and lost productivity and revenue.

Guardian Digital is pleased to provide Behind the Shield readers with informative expert advice on what network security really means. Each month a new topic of interest will be chosen to supply you with useful tips and information not offered elsewhere. This month, we'll have a brief discussion on the importance of risk assessment to IT security.

Through national and multi-national partners like Rodine Communications, Inc. in Sterling Colorado., Guardian Digital is able to provide their productivity and security solutions to customers worldwide.

Rodine Communications carries the best of breed products in network security, host security, secure single sign on, biometrics, and remote access security solutions. We have partnered with the world's best security products companies, including Guardian Digital to bring our customers solutions that work.

For further information on SpeedTech, please visit their website at: www.rodine.com