 |
| Photo by Sean Pollock on Unsplash |
Linux
runs the cloud,
the Internet
and
supercomputers. Turns out that due to its free price tag, open nature, interoperability with
open standards, enterprise features and robust security, Linux could be a
great fit for Governments, municipalities and public institutions around the world. Let's understand how.
Linux is free
One of the most important reasons to use Linux in Governments and public agencies is its price: zero. As public debt grows, it won't be long until Governments, cities and public institutions adapt to this new reality of budget reduction. Turns out that using Linux and open-source software allows to cut costs significantly.Enterprise-grade security
Linux is way more secure than Macs and Windows. That's due to multiple factors: the open-source model, its open-collaboration model, built-in enterprise grade software, native full-disk encryption, less exposure to viruses and ransomware, security-aware architecture, enterprise-grade security modules such as SELinux and AppArmor, integrity sub-systems that can be used to detect if a file has been altered, frequent updates and encrypted data at rest.
Security Certifications
Enterprise Linux has all the clearance to pass most security requirements by public agencies including FIPS 140-2 Level 1 certification and Common Criteria EAL2. If that sounds too complicated, please consider researching what these certifications demand from the vendors.
Open-source code
Due to its open nature, researches frequently inspect, test and certify the code you'll end up using. When issues are found, they're reported and fixed as quickly as possible, tested and released to you. This constant review and curation of software guarantees that your Governments or public agencies will be getting software as secure as it can possibly be.
Less viruses, less ransomware, less threats
Despite still being subject to viruses and ransomware, the previously mentioned features combined with a significant smaller percentage threats of make Linux much safer than Windows and Macs (but not immune). And Linux also has anti-viruses if the system administrators need need too.
Linux will feel familiar
Users in public institutions fear not, Linux is will feel familiar to you regardless of your background. Most distributions these days use either GNOME and KDE, which contain applications for everything that you expect: file managers, contacts, calendars, email, communication tools, etc. For example GNOME, the standard for most distributions looks like this:
Huge selection of applications
Public-sector employees will still have their favorite applications available on Linux. Modern browsers
like Google Chrome,
Firefox, communication software like Slack, Skype,
Zoom and even
Microsoft Teams are available on Linux. Need a modern development environment?
Visual Studio Code also runs on Linux!
|
| Source: Slack Downloads |
Linux is reliable
Remember this? You'll probably not miss that! Using Linux will be a way more stable experience. Your system will rarely crash and the tools you'll use will make your computer way more stable than Windows or Mac equivalents.
Good for old hardware
Linux is also excellent for old hardware as it can be configured with lighter tools that utilize less resources. Most distributions (such as Fedora LXDE shown below) release alternative lightweight versions so you'll just need a simple install to get these systems optimized for lower-end hardware.
Linux is customizable
If just setting up a custom repository isn't enough, organizations can benefit from Linux's fantastic array of customization options allowing them to customize everything including:- Desktop Managers: for example, GNOME, KDE, XFCE, LXQT and LXDE.
- Login Managers: how to login in your system.
- Desktop themes: themes, colors, etc.
- Fonts: customize your fonts, sizes, etc.
- Systems and Services: your system will have an endless list of services to choose from.
- Kernel: even the kernel, the main process of your system can be customized.
Free Office Tools
Linux also offers many alternatives to Microsoft's Office proprietary suite on Linux including LibreOffice, OpenOffice, WPS and Calligra Suite. You'll probably not miss Word and Excel.
|
| Source: linuxuprising.com |
Frequent/Automatic updates
Linux distributions are frequently updated meaning that students will be getting the latest security, software and kernel fixes automatically. These are usually the holes crackers explore to target organizations. Getting updates quickly is also important to mitigate zero-days.Reliable updates
We've seen a lot of mistakes recently made by either Microsoft and Apple with their Windows and Mac operating systems. Updates on Linux are not only reliable but are more frequent than anything you'd get on those systems. Governments and public agencies will probably choose long term support (LTS) system which provides up to 10 years. While allowing the developers in those organizations to run a different model updating every 6 months to get access to the most recent development technologies.
Custom repositories
With Linux, Governments and the public sector can easily setup their own custom repositories allowing/limiting which software can be installed on their Linux workstations.
Native disk-encryption
Most distributions offer native disk-encryption during the installation. Native disk-encryption is essential today as employees transport their devices out of the organization's secured space. If lost or stolen, the only way to access the data would be by entering the encryption password.
