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Current Release for OpenBSD Dedicated Servers: 4.1 – May 2007

Website: http://www.openbsd.org

Wikipedia Reference: OpenBSD Dedicated Servers

A focus on security is what distinguishes OpenBSD dedicated servers from others, including FreeBSD. In fact, the goal for OpenBSD it to be the number one player in the industry for security. There is an audit team in place that proactively searches for security holes, which is an important for your OpenBSD dedicated server. They comb through the system files one at a time in search of possible weaknesses in the code. The main website for OpenBSD clearly states the goal for this distro is proactive security and integrated cryptography, which are both important for OpenBSD dedicated servers.

OpenBSD, like the other BSD derivatives, is based on the Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) version of Unix. FreeBSD has maintained the spirit of the original Berkeley Unix copyright. It’s logo, puffy, the puffer fish comes from the Blowfish encryption algorithm employed in OpenSSH, which helps ensure that your OpenBSD dedicated server remains secure.

Not enough can be said about the security of a OpenBSD dedicated server, which has a tag line of “Only two remote holes in the default install, in more than 10 years”. Two is a tiny number compared to the thousands of exploits found in Microsoft Windows Servers found in the same time period. The security is so tight that many companies have based their security products on this distro. For example, AccessEnforcer, GeNUGate, and Syscall Network Solutions all incorporate OpenBSD dedicated servers in their security focused products.

Because an OpenBSD dedicated server is security-minded, very little is enabled in the default install. Some users complain about this and would like to see more services turned on by default; however, this would compromise the security in this distro. Others have complained that OpenBSD dedicated servers may not scale as well, to which the OpenBSD community has replied that their focus is on security. For beginners, the installer is seen as primitive and spartain.

Those considering an OpenBSD dedicated server should also consider FreeBSD, which is also receiving favorable reviews.