When the Indiana Department of Education rolled out PCs running Linux to schools last year, it installed open source Latest News about open source antivirus software on the servers connected to the desktop systems to scan incoming e-mail. However, it didn't bother to put antivirus tools on the PCs themselves. "I hate to admit this, but I wasn't worried," said Forrest Gaston, a consultant who is managing the project for the Indianapolis-based agency. And despite heavy Internet usage by students, Gaston's optimism has been borne out thus far. Desktop security "hasn't been an issue," he said.

Linux's relative immunity to viruses, spyware, worms and other malware has long been one of the open source operating system's key attractions. Vendors tout a lack of security threats as a big selling point.

The link for this article located at www.computerworld.com is no longer available.