First of all, I am a heavy tripwire user and have found it to be one of the best linux products there are on the market. But you have to understand what it does before you jump to conclusions. It doesnt stop intrusions, or even effect the intrusion. What it does is detect the intrusion and allow you (as the system administrator) to track and account for what has been done on the system since the last database update. Better yet, it works on multiple operating systems. Tripwire has alot of history with linux and that is probably the reason that it has remained "Free" (as in beer) over the years. They have added support for many OS's like Windows NT and Digital 64 as well. Of these, none of them are free except the linux version. Recently they introduced the "Management Console" which allows a tripwire system to be setup to manage multiple tripwire systems from one console. Thus you wont have the need to login to each system and take hours updating the tripwire database just to get information on your servers. This product is NOT FREE and costs about $7,000 US to buy it. Furthermore, the tripwire that they are allowing you to download does not support a TCP connection from another host to update its database. IE: you cannot use the management console with the free linux version. However, for around $250 (US) you can buy a TCP/IP enabled tripwire for linux that works very well with the console. Most likely the open source version of tripwire will be one down from the current version (which is what it is now from my understanding). Yes this sounds expensive especially when you are dealing with many servers, but when you have one of your customers/clients calling you and telling you theyre going to sue you because they dont feel you have been doing well on security, its worth it. BTW, no I dont work for tripwire, but I wish I did. heh
"But the issue is whether consumers have alternatives if they don't like Microsoft's product. The clear answer is yes. desktop users can get Macs or install BeOS. Server users can run Linux, Solaris, or *BSD. Yes, they have a large market share, but as long as there are alternatives, it's not a monopoly." Ok, so what youre saying is that when I go down to my local Best Buy and attemtp to buy a computer, I have the right to install an Operating System other than MS Windows right? I do have that right but why bother when it comes with windows, and I am going to pay for the cost of the Operating System anyway? I get to choose what hardware I want... what monitor I want... what manufacturer i want... but all of them have MS Windows installed by default out of the box. Oh yea, lets not forget the support that I am going to get when I install Linux. Not a single OEM company will provide you with the same level of support that you would get from using a Microsoft product. "A monopolist would raise their prices to $500, sit on their asses, and rake in profits" Im sorry, how much is Windows 2000 now? Oh yea, it costs more becuase it has more "Features." Note to my boss, lets switch from our 20 NT4.0 servers to 20 W2K servers. Dont mind the bugs and the newest problems with SR1 out. Those will go away in time. Oh yea, and could you please send me to get my MCSE for W2K now since my $12,000.00 i spent to get my MCSE before wont mean a thing in 18 months anyway?
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First of all, I am a heavy tripwire user and have found it to be one of the best linux products there are on the market. But you have to understand what it does before you jump to conclusions. It doesnt stop intrusions, or even effect the intrusion. What it does is detect the intrusion and allow you (as the system administrator) to track and account for what has been done on the system since the last database update. Better yet, it works on multiple operating systems. Tripwire has alot of history with linux and that is probably the reason that it has remained "Free" (as in beer) over the years. They have added support for many OS's like Windows NT and Digital 64 as well. Of these, none of them are free except the linux version. Recently they introduced the "Management Console" which allows a tripwire system to be setup to manage multiple tripwire systems from one console. Thus you wont have the need to login to each system and take hours updating the tripwire database just to get information on your servers. This product is NOT FREE and costs about $7,000 US to buy it. Furthermore, the tripwire that they are allowing you to download does not support a TCP connection from another host to update its database. IE: you cannot use the management console with the free linux version. However, for around $250 (US) you can buy a TCP/IP enabled tripwire for linux that works very well with the console. Most likely the open source version of tripwire will be one down from the current version (which is what it is now from my understanding). Yes this sounds expensive especially when you are dealing with many servers, but when you have one of your customers/clients calling you and telling you theyre going to sue you because they dont feel you have been doing well on security, its worth it. BTW, no I dont work for tripwire, but I wish I did. heh
"But the issue is whether consumers have alternatives if they don't like Microsoft's product. The clear answer is yes. desktop users can get Macs or install BeOS. Server users can run Linux, Solaris, or *BSD. Yes, they have a large market share, but as long as there are alternatives, it's not a monopoly." Ok, so what youre saying is that when I go down to my local Best Buy and attemtp to buy a computer, I have the right to install an Operating System other than MS Windows right? I do have that right but why bother when it comes with windows, and I am going to pay for the cost of the Operating System anyway? I get to choose what hardware I want... what monitor I want... what manufacturer i want... but all of them have MS Windows installed by default out of the box. Oh yea, lets not forget the support that I am going to get when I install Linux. Not a single OEM company will provide you with the same level of support that you would get from using a Microsoft product. "A monopolist would raise their prices to $500, sit on their asses, and rake in profits" Im sorry, how much is Windows 2000 now? Oh yea, it costs more becuase it has more "Features." Note to my boss, lets switch from our 20 NT4.0 servers to 20 W2K servers. Dont mind the bugs and the newest problems with SR1 out. Those will go away in time. Oh yea, and could you please send me to get my MCSE for W2K now since my $12,000.00 i spent to get my MCSE before wont mean a thing in 18 months anyway?
The only reason I go to windows now is because of Rogue Spear, Rainbow Six and the mission packs.