Baltimore, MD — Data and network security. Privacy. Viruses. Such are the concerns of the Internet Age. At the Information Security Institute (ISI) at Johns Hopkins University, computer science faculty and students conduct research on ways to secure cyberspace and our national information infrastructure. For this team, security, collaboration, and productivity are mission-critical. That’s why they depend on Macintosh systems running Mac OS X.

Aviel D. Rubin, Ph.D., an associate professor of computer science at Johns Hopkins, serves as technical director of the ISI. Dividing his time between the classroom and the Institute, Dr. Rubin makes Macs an integral part of his research and teaching activities. Thanks to the recent switch to Macs and Mac OS X, he says that computer users at the Institute are enjoying significant benefits.

“Using the Macs and Mac OS X has helped us interoperate a lot,” Rubin notes. “Now we can share files much more easily between Windows, UNIX, and Linux systems, and we can collaborate in very exciting ways.”

Mac OS X Ideal for UNIX Fans
For researchers used to working on the UNIX platform, the latest version of the Mac OS is a godsend, Rubin says. Using Mac OS X offers the best of all worlds: the ease and elegance of the Mac interface, combined with the freedom to continue using UNIX-based applications.

“We set up a file server on a Power Mac G4 running Mac OS X,” Rubin explains. “That’s allowed us to use UNIX tools, such as SSH secure shell and CVS [Concurrent Versions System], to put all of our important files on the server over an encrypted connection. Those are the main tools we use for back-ups and file sharing, and it works really well. The great thing about Mac OS X is it’s UNIX based with the Mac GUI.”

Easy File-Sharing and System Management
With Apple Remote Desktop, Rubin says users in the lab have the ability to easily share their work. “We use Apple Remote Desktop to get onto each other’s workstations, manage our applications, and diagnose problems. For example, if I’m on a machine and I find something that needs fixing, and a student is going to help me with it, he or she can use Apple Remote Desktop to ‘see’ what’s on my screen,” says Rubin. “The student’s mouse will actually control my cursor, and when he or she types from their own keyboard, it will be as if I typed the words on mine.

“This application offers a great way to diagnose problems, share a whiteboard, or even do remote presentations,” Rubin adds. “Apple Remote Desktop also makes configuring all of our machines a breeze.”

Macs Ably Support Researchers
Now a confirmed Mac user, Rubin himself is a relatively recent “switcher.” He joined both the ISI and the Johns Hopkins faculty in 2002 from AT&T Labs, where he had worked on Linux - and Windows-based systems. But shortly after entering the academic world, Rubin realized an important trend was taking hold.

“I noticed that a lot of my techie friends were switching to Macs, and making convincing cases for doing so,” Rubin recalls. “I got my hands on one, and moved all of my UNIX tools and research projects onto it to see if it would all work ... and it did. I basically decided to change my entire computing environment, so I bought myself a PowerBook G4 and just started living on it. I was amazed at how great it was! Using my Macs with Mac OS X is just the best thing to ever come along, in terms of impacting my work, my productivity, and my efficiency.”