[CentOS] Another Fedora decision

Thu Feb 5 15:59:05 UTC 2015
Always Learning <centos at u64.u22.net>

On Thu, 2015-02-05 at 09:27 -0600, Valeri Galtsev wrote:

> .......... I feel like
> there is brave new world of admins who feel it right to have
>  "iPad-like" everything, i.e. boxes cooked up and sealed by vendor, and
>  you have no way even to look inside, not to say re-shape interior to
>  your understanding [of security or anything else]. Am I the only one?

Foolish and stupid implicit trust in a third party. Just look at the
Windoze world ever since Win95 (first edition of many) materialised.
Trust M$ and get a free virus every time !

I don't use my Android tablet after I discovered a default setting
(semi-hidden away) was "Trust Google by automatically sharing all
passwords with Google".  I would like to use the tablet but only when
there is a major free and entirely open source version of Linux
available for it.

Then there is the BIOS (or similar) with a functioning TCP/IP stack, so
I am told. How good is security when a low level backdoor exists ?
Keeping Uncle Sam and his associates out does not make everyone a
dangerous threat to public safety and to national security. Don't
forget about the Chinese switching equipment which some believe could
be controlled remotely by the Chinese.

Paper and pen (or Biro/ball-point) was massively more secure. Are we
stupid because we place so much inherent trust in the honesty and
integrity of others whilst never having an opportunity to verify their
offerings ?  Open Source, all the way down to the motherboard, is
increasingly important for the efficient and safe functioning of our global
society, from traffic lights to hospital live-saving machinery.

When will Centos (RH) be able to replace Google on Android tablets ?

> Good luck, everyone. Stay safe and keep your boxes secure!

It is not only the "boxes" which must be kept secure. Increasing amounts
of data mean security must be increased too and become a normal 'way of
life'.

In addition to my Centos Leaning mailing list suggestion, I would like
to see a free web based Centos security questionnaire to ask users
security related questions and then present a rating based upon their
correct answers. Red Hat people and Fedora people too lurk on here, yet
there is a reluctance (probably commercially inspired) not to fully
respond to the challenges threatening all of us 'today'.


-- 
Regards,

Paul.
England, EU.      Je suis Charlie.