RE: CRIME Computers vulnerable at Oregon department

From: Dion Baird (dion_baird@private)
Date: Tue Sep 24 2002 - 08:34:11 PDT

  • Next message: charles radley: "Re: CRIME better computing for oregon using open source"

      My perception of the problem as an IT specialist and a state employee
    is that there is no centralization.  Each Department (i.e. ODOT, HRS,
    DAS, etc.) calls their own shots as far as desktop and server OS's,
    equipment, etc.  Only certain systems are centralized for the entire
    state, and yes Shaun, most of those DO run open source OS.
    
      Most big shops run MS desktop at least because it's easier to train
    users on (most of them have Windows based systems in their home), and
    for the most part, it's easier to find trained personnel, and also to
    train personnel to support it.  Most of the server based stuff will be a
    mixture of OS's.  For instance at DAS, we are mostly windows based
    supporting a citrix environment, however we have a couple of large Sun
    boxes and a Linux server or two.
    
      The bottom line is that until all IT is centralized as least as far as
    management and command and control, it's going to be very difficult to
    set any standards for OS's and equipment and put them in place.
    
    Dion Baird  
    
      
    
    -----Original Message-----
    From: T. Kenji Sugahara [mailto:sugahara@private] 
    Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2002 12:31 AM
    To: Shaun Savage
    Cc: CRIME
    Subject: Re: CRIME Computers vulnerable at Oregon department
    
    
    Shaun,
    
    Open Source is great but how about support?  There are legions of MS 
    trained support people but how about Linux/UNIX trained folks?  Which 
    brings about another question of Open Source - Uniformity.  What do you 
    think the repercussions are of  the kind of mods that you can make in 
    an open source environment?  Most everything can be modified - and will 
    be. It tends to require a different perspective than out of the box 
    solutions.  I wonder what IT support is like in that environment?
    
    In addition, how will software developers react to Open Source and Open 
    Standards?  Will service contracts work as a business model for SW 
    developers?  It is sort-of a throwback to the old IBM model of sell the 
    HW for under cost and then make em pay for the maintenance.
    
    
    
    On Tuesday, September 24, 2002, at 03:25 PM, Shaun Savage wrote:
    
    > T. Kenji Sugahara wrote:
    >> What's needed is buy-in from the Governor on down.  (e.g. a
    >> fundamental shift in thinking).
    >> Each agency head needs to understand the costs and benefits of 
    >> security.  They need to be advised of the cost of computer >>
    insecurity.
    >
    > Open of the problems in goverment is that they are not open to new
    > ideas, even if the ideas better server the people of the state.  The 
    > concept of open source is totally unheard of in goverment. As such 
    > they, the big cheeses, don't want to get near it.  To me open source 
    > is the best concept for goverment.  Pay for software once, 
    > development, then the people could use it forever.  If a program is 
    > put into the public domain then that adds to the commen welfare of 
    > everyone.
    >
    > I have read that the goverment should support business.  The question
    > here is are the people more important or companies. people vote but 
    > companies donate(bribe) more money.
    >
    > I would donate my patented database GUI system to the projects the
    > state would create for it self using open source licenese.  This would
    
    > reduce maintaince and development cost, increase security, while 
    > improving the common good for the average person in the state.
    >
    > Shaun Savage
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    



    This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Tue Sep 24 2002 - 09:01:33 PDT