Alan, I understand your frustrations... > I think it's important to remember what seems like obvious security > to people like me and Mark, is viewed as stumbling blocks and workarounds > by the vast majority of SUN's customers. It seems to me that either SUN > should have developed their Solaris to encompass an in-place secure OS, > and allow it to be downgraded, instead of what is shipped, or not publically > espouse their inadequacies in security. While there is alot of what Sun does I don't agree with, I happen to agree whole-heartedly with Sun's policy of informing me of security issues. I also feel that there can not be too much exchange of this info. There are many "underground communications channels" used by the whiley hackers that indicate the hackers usually are exploiting the various OS features [I refer to these as features because in the normal trusted net environment they are exactly that] before the rank and file SA's are notified. But at least we are notified. If Sun didn't shine the light on these issues, then who would? You? ...after *your* "intangibles" were left out swinging in the breeze? Think about it, if not Sun, then who? There are too many companies that are outright afraid to let the public know what's wrong. This policy creates a false sense of security around their product lines. Like trailer-court kids, I let my Suns and other workstations run loose within the trusted net. Users appreciate the non-gestapo approach to packet flow. The few Suns that have bastion duty have the screws tightened down as tight as I know how. The trusted net nodes far outnumber the few on bastion duty and I'd rather reconfigure a few good Suns than unconfigure the masses. > Perhaps I'm verging on the masses favorite hobby of flaming,... understatement > If they're such a can do company, then why was our order for 6 machines > just pushed back (for the second time) for 45 days? I don't know why your order was pushed back, but if it was for the same reason as I was provided, Uncle Sam's priority orders (fiscal year-end money burn) pulled a pre-emptive strike. Flame to your congressman/woman/it. Regards- Robert