Network Management & Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Network Management & Security - Essay Example The use of an Ethernet switch will allow quicker access to services and should handle all bandwidth issues. More switches can be added to accommodate more devices as they are added. There are three critical areas to consider when comparing Linux to Windows XP as a potential candidate for network operating system platforms: vulnerability to both attacks from outside the company's LAN/WAN and internally through security breeches, patch management with respect to the continual need to apply security patches, and availability and distribution of security information. Let's look at these security measures: Most Linux system have not been infected with a virus. This may be due to the fact that virus writers are not, at the moment, occupied with writing code to affect Linux machines based on the fact that it is UNIX based. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 contains all the components required for compliance with the Common Criteria Evaluation CAPP/EAL 4+, improving on the top-rated CAPP/EAL 3+ certification achieved in version 8. Windows patch management is well documented as a problem due to the amount of vulnerabilities that are present within the software itself. This is a large issue when calculating the TCO of an operating system. According to TechNewsWorld, "one major financial institution had to go to its board of directors to approve an additional $10 million to finish this patch. After MS Blast and the cost of patching that, it's, 'Here we go again,' as new vulnerabilities are found deeply ingrained in Microsoft systems." The article also mentions the plight of another financial institution that was forced to take down its IT system for three weeks to patch its Windows desktop machines. There is a continued weight the cost of continually patching Microsoft products when deciding which operating system to purchase. Availability and