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List:       selinux
Subject:    Re: Logo Artwork for SELinux?
From:       Russell Coker <russell () coker ! com ! au>
Date:       2004-04-15 5:26:07
Message-ID: 200404151526.07728.russell () coker ! com ! au
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On Thu, 15 Apr 2004 12:47, Michael Pender <michael.pender@nanochron.com> 
wrote:
> IMO, SE-Linux is not going to be adopted based on technical superiority or
> endorsement by the NSA if installing and using it too overwhelming.  In
> fact, I think the association with the NSA is detrimental because people
> think the NSA puts back doors in their software.  I really don't think this
> is news to anyone who works in computer security.

Surely if someone at the NSA or some similar agency wanted to put a back-door 
in Linux then what they would do is get a regular account with an ISP and 
just start sending in kernel patches.  After their identity became known for 
patching code (and thus receiving less checks before being included) they 
could start slipping in mistakes in the code.

People just have to ask themselves; is it better to trust NSA code that gets 
checked by lots of people or some random kernel code that gets almost no 
review?

-- 
http://www.coker.com.au/selinux/   My NSA Security Enhanced Linux packages
http://www.coker.com.au/bonnie++/  Bonnie++ hard drive benchmark
http://www.coker.com.au/postal/    Postal SMTP/POP benchmark
http://www.coker.com.au/~russell/  My home page


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