Apple might beat Linux to the Government desktop. "Apple Computer Inc. is seeking Common Criteria evaluation of Mac OS X, which could open government doors wider to open-source software.

Apple wants a Common Criteria Evaluated Assurance Level 3, which 'costs big bucks,' said John Hurley, Apple’s security policy architect. 'It’s a pain in the neck to spend that money.'

But, Hurley told an audience at the recent Secure Trusted Operating System symposium in Washington, the entire open-source community could benefit from the effort. The OS X kernel is based on the Darwin open-source operating system.

'OS X wouldn’t be here without open-source,' Hurley said. 'Everything that isn’t graphical is open-source.'"

Government Computer News