Trusted Computer Solutions, Inc., a major supplier of secure software to government entities such as the CIA, is building the Trusted Linux distribution based on the NSA’s Security-Enhanced Linux, aka SELinux.

Trusted Linux will essentially be an extended version of SELinux in that it includes features and functionality that end-users need but SELinux does not supply. Specifically, these features are related to multi-level security and increased access controls, which now are only available in Trusted Solaris (also available from TCS).

The coolest part of the news is TCS is developing Trusted Linux due to increased demand from their customers. Apparently the only truly trusted method of passing documents and data was burning them to a CD or USB key and physically handing it to the recipient, and they’re looking into better ways of passing the same data over the network. There are a lot of infrastructure changes as a result, and the government is also embracing more Open Source software as part of the deal.

Much of the functionality of Trusted Linux will be ported over from Trusted Solaris.