Hackers, IT consultants embrace free security tool

From: Dave Whitinger <dave@linuxtoday.com>

http://www.computerworld.com/home/news.nsf/all/9908124swan

Hackers, IT consultants embrace free security tool
By Ann Harrison

ALTLANDSBERG, GERMANY -- When IT security consultants attend hacker
conferences, they have high expectations for finding open-source security
tools that have been tested in hostile environments.

One tool that met the standard for hacker information technology
consultants is the Linux FreeS/WAN project, free, open-source Linux-based
server software that uses strong encryption to create secure data tunnels
between any two points on the Internet -- a badly needed alternative to
expensive, proprietary virtual private networks (VPN).

FreeS/WAN uses the proposed IPsec protocol, an interoperable global
standard for securing IP connections. It automatically encrypts data
packets at 6M bit/sec. and creates secure gateways in a VPN without
modifying the operating system or application software. A PC running
FreeS/WAN can set up a secure tunnel in less than a second.

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