Verifiable integrity
Computing is full of security problems, and Linux is no exception to this rule, given convincing the protective free and open source software community of the wisdom of a radical new idea often turns out to be as big a challenge as the engineering itself.
While Linux distros on desktop computers remain a niche, the technology’s invisible domination of online platforms and cloud container orchestration tools makes it the most important operating system in the world.
That, not surprisingly, has made it a target for attacks, with cybercriminals taking advantage of vulnerabilities allowing privilege escalation, container escapes, and other exploits, as well as embedding backdoors in open source images across Linux’s complex supply chain.
Judging from Amutable’s self-declared vision to bring “determinism and verifiable integrity to Linux system,” the founders see plenty of room for improvement.
“Today’s infrastructure approaches security reactively. Software agents watch for vulnerabilities and intrusions; attackers refine their evasion. These defensive approaches are costly, brittle, and ineffective,” the company said.
“Amutable’s mission is to deliver verifiable integrity to Linux workloads everywhere. We look forward to working towards this goal with the broader Linux community.”
