This month we have joined the Linux Foundation as members. The Linux Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 2007 by the merger of the Open Source Development Labs and the Free Standards Group. The association promotes and supports Linux and the open source projects trough training, events, workgroups, publications and other programs.
“The Linux Foundation protects and promotes the ideals of freedom and generous collaboration established through the development of Linux, and shares these ideals to power any endeavor aiming to make the future a better place in which to live.”
Source: Linux Foundation website
Why we joined Linux Foundation?
We had several reasons to become members of the Linux Foundation. The most important one is the fact that we develop Data Loss Prevention (DLP) and Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions which are Linux based. As developers of data security solutions that use this operating system, we support the open source community and we believe that the benefits of open source tools are far more complex than just costs, easy customization, and flexibility. Linux is now part of our lives if we think about the smartphones, cloud platforms, wearable devices, servers, and other platforms that rely on this operating system. Additionally, our efforts have been continuously directed in building cross-platforms data security solutions – Data Loss Prevention and Device Control for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux and Mobile Device Management for iOS and Android – so this is another significant reason we decided to become Linux Foundation members.
Linux adoption
Linux is lately expanding at a faster pace than other operating systems, due to high performance and reliability. The following infographic beautifully explains this.
Image source: royal.pingdom.com / The state of Linux (infographic)
Moreover, a Linux Foundation report reveals that Linux deployments increase at the expense of Windows, with 14 points increase (65% to 79%) from 2011 to 2014, compared to 9 points decrease in Windows deployments (45% to 36%) for the same period. Besides the feature set and low TCO that drive Linux adoption, this operating system also has one of the largest and most devoted community, with numerous forums, wikis, great documentation, live support chat, etc.
With Linux growth in the enterprise, in the many distributions it has – Ubuntu, OpenSUSE, CentOS, RedHat, Mint, and others, not only on servers but also on users’ workstations, the operating system becomes more vulnerable to a certain type of threats, for example, users’ behavior with confidential data. Just like on Macs and Windows computers, users deal with big amounts of confidential data and have the possibility to transfer it on the cloud, on portable storage devices and other exit points. As we repeated on several occasions (repetition is the mother of learning), the danger of this situation derives from the fact that, by human error, or malicious intentions, organizations’ sensitive data can be publicly disclosed, causing many times irreparable damages. This threat is more present than ever (we surely sense that in our increased customer base with Linux platforms), so the Linux community should be aware and should support individuals and organizations in securely implementing and using Linux based solutions.
Our efforts and focus are strongly oriented in this direction, so we invite you to continue following and sharing our updates related to Linux based developments.
Download our free ebook on
Data Loss Prevention Best Practices
Helping IT Managers, IT Administrators and data security staff understand the concept and purpose of DLP and how to easily implement it.
