This white paper explores the critical security requirements businesses must consider when selecting an operating system for mission-critical servers, and compares how Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 and UNIX operating systems provide those services. The choice of operating system for a corporate standard or for an individual project is driven by the needs of the business mission.
Security is an essential element in that decision.
The critical security requirements that businesses must consider when selecting an operating system for mission critical operations include authentication, access control, accountability, auditing, domain separation, integrity, confidentiality, and security manageability. Both the Windows NT operating system and the UNIX operating system meet all of the requirements in these areas. The following table provides a synopsis of each operating system s compliance in each area. All rights reserved.