Why is Linux at the heart of our operations here?

Here at LCR Computer Services, we take security VERY seriously. Security is more than just keeping the script kiddies out - we also have to lock out the serious hackers. We also work at keeping viruses out of your e-mail. To do all this we need software that just plain works without giving the bad guys a way in.

We look for platforms that have the tools to give us the best performance while meeting those goals. And we have to meet those goals without compromising security. In our years of experience, we've used a variety of OS platforms here at LCR.

Linux is at the heart of it. It is by far the easiest to secure. Linux allows us to turn off individual portals for services we don't need. Windows does not give us that fine control. Windows NT and 2000 have way too many entry points that the White Hats have not discovered yet. But the Black Hats are working very hard to find them.

Linux is an operating system that is not bogged down by its GUI (Graphical User Interface). Linux does have a GUI interface, but it can be turned OFF! This leaves it to do its job with more vigor than Windows. That means Linux can do more with less computing power. Which means we can handle the load with less expensive computers and pass the savings on to our customers.

That does not mean Linux is the OS of choice for everything. WinNT 4.0 and Exchange 5.5 are at the heart of our e-mail system. It was chosen because of the excellent anti-virus tools available for that platform. But we keep IIS (Internet Information Services, Microsoft's web server platform) off of those servers. IIS has not been proven to fit our definition of secure. And that is why we use Linux based software to provide web based access to your e-mail.

Additionally, Linux and Perl have proven to provide an easy way to self-monitor the systems here at LCR. We use Perl and CRON (Linux's scheduling tool) to closely monitor all operations here. We use it to do real time monitoring of network connectivity and to watch for intrusions on our systems. We use it to make sure all computers are up and the services we provide are available to you for your use.

LCR Computer Services has always kept an open mind about what tools and operating systems to use. Linux has proven itself to be a very useful tool and will be used here until our ongoing research leads to a better solution.