IBM (NYSE: IBM) and Red Hat (NYSE: RHT), the world’s leading provider of open source solutions, today announced a new security certification for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 that is expected to further drive the adoption of Linux among businesses and governments worldwide. With the certification, no mainstream operating system in the world offers a higher level of security certification.  

Today’s announcement confirms that Red Hat Enterprise Linux on IBM servers now meets government security standards allowing Linux to be used in homeland security projects, command-and-control operations, and throughout government agencies that previously were limited to a select few other operating systems. This latest certification ensures that Red Hat Enterprise Linux running on IBM servers is now second to none in security among mainstream operating systems.  

Red Hat Enterprise Linux on IBM systems, supporting applications such as those developed by Trusted Computer Solutions, Inc., a leading supplier of cross domain solutions for industry and government, has been approved by the National Information Assurance Partnership for Common Criteria Evaluation & Validation Scheme at Evaluation Assurance Level 4 (EAL4+) for Labeled Security Protection Profile (LSPP), Controlled Access Protection Profile (CAPP), and Role-Based Access Control Protection Profile (RBAC).   

This marks the first Common Criteria certification for a Linux distribution at this globally recognized advanced level of security and assurance, which means Red Hat Enterprise Linux on IBM systems now meets government security standards for assured information sharing within and across government agencies. Red Hat Enterprise Linux is now positioned to provide best-of-breed security capabilities for commercial operating systems, offering government agencies and businesses alike an unprecedented choice for secure applications.   

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, which was released for general availability earlier this year, contains kernel and Security Enhanced Linux (SELinux) policy features developed through a significant open community effort with IBM, and the participation from other key contributors, including Red Hat, Trusted Computer Solutions, and federal government representatives.

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