Ask a network administrator in any large organisation to compare Linux with network operating systems like Windows NT or Novell Open Enterprise Server, and chances are he’ll admit that Linux is an inherently more stable and scalable solution. Chances are he’ll also admit that when it comes to securing the system from outside attack, Linux is possibly the most difficult of the three to work with.

This perception is not an uncommon one — many network administrators new to Linux find it hard to transition from a point-and-click security configuration interface to one based on editing complicated and hard-to-locate text files. More >