Re: [SLUG] General question Re: Securing Redhat Linux

["Chris Samuel" <chris@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

> If you spend enough time on it you can convince yourself that any box is
> "secure". Secure systems is one area where debian excels though. Debian
> packaging policy means that old, reliable software is used in favour of
> newer, possibly more functional, but possibly also less secure software.

NB: This is not a Debian bash, I've just got very little (tending to zero)
experience of it.

I would hope that Debian, whilst keeping to more elderly software,
back-ports security fixes to their distribution ?

Also, given that some software releases happen because of security fixes,
you may well find that older software is not always more secure.  I remember
the old sendmail "bug of the month club" times, where those unlucky enough
to still be using that MTA would be updating their software on a fairly
regular basis to try and keep up-to-date with the fixes.  Fortunately we
were using Smail, and then Qmail. :-)

cheers,
Chris