Red Hat submits Linux for security evaluation

Red Hat Enterprise Linux is being evaluated for Common Criteria certification on a broad range of IBM eServer systems, Red Hat announced today.

Once the evaluation is complete, Red Hat will issue Version 5 of the operating system, knowing that it meets government security standards for assured information sharing.

Red Hat partners Trusted Computer Solutions and IBM are also involved in the process.

Paul Smith, Red Hat's vice president of government sales operations, said the functionality is available now, although the evaluation process is still under way. Getting into the process is more of a milestone than coming out of it, he said.

“We are at the front end of the process, but we’re also leading," he said. "No one else is where we are right now.”

Several vendors besides Red Hat distribute Linux, an open-source technology. The company hired Smith earlier this year and launched a government-specific division to expand its brand of Linux within the government.

The division is running smoothly, Smith said. “It’s a good push and pull," he said. " The phone is ringing, but we are knocking on a lot of doors as well. This is for real. It’s security, it’s performance, it’s backed by a company that’s financially stable, and it’s going to be around for a while.”