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Overview

What is RLC-H?

Rocky Linux from CIQ - Hardened (RLC-H) is an enhanced, security-focused edition of Rocky Linux from CIQ designed for organizations in regulated or high-security environments.

RLC-H builds upon Rocky Linux’s trusted foundation—offering full RHEL compatibility—while integrating advanced security features, real-time threat detection, and out-of-the-box compliance with major standards like DISA STIG, CIS Benchmarks, and FIPS 140-3.

Whether you're securing critical infrastructure, managing sensitive data, or enforcing strict security policies, RLC-H helps reduce risk, improve audit readiness, and streamline security operations in enterprise Linux environments.

Key Security Features

Rocky Linux from CIQ - Hardened includes comprehensive security enhancements designed to protect against modern threats:

Core Package Hardening

  • glibc hardening: Removes unsafe environment variables when crossing privilege boundaries
  • OpenSSH hardening: Reduces attack surface through removal of non-essential libraries
  • Kernel hardening: Enhanced security configurations and runtime protection
  • Memory protection: Advanced malloc hardening to prevent memory corruption attacks

Runtime Security

  • Linux Kernel Runtime Guard (LKRG): Real-time kernel integrity checking
  • Memory corruption detection: Advanced protection against buffer overflows and memory exploits
  • Kernel integrity monitoring: Continuous verification of kernel code and critical data structures

Enhanced Security Policies

  • Stronger password policies: Enforced complexity and rotation requirements
  • SSH restrictions: Hardened SSH configurations with reduced attack surface
  • File system permissions: Stricter access controls and permission schemes
  • Network security: Enhanced firewall rules and network access controls

Compliance Frameworks

  • DISA STIG: Security Technical Implementation Guide compliance
  • CIS Benchmarks: Center for Internet Security hardening guidelines
  • FIPS 140-3: Federal Information Processing Standard cryptographic compliance
  • Common Criteria: International security evaluation standards

Service Level Objectives (SLO) for RLC-H

RLC-H includes the same commercial guarantees as Rocky Linux from CIQ, with additional security-focused SLOs:

  • Timely Security Updates: RLC-H will receive updates from upstream Enterprise Linux within 30 days of general availability for all supported versions
  • Critical Security Response: RLC-H will receive best efforts for remediating or mitigating critical security vulnerabilities within 30 days of a fix being available
  • Hardening Updates: Security hardening improvements and new threat protections delivered through regular updates
  • Compliance Maintenance: Ongoing updates to maintain compliance with security frameworks and standards

Why choose RLC-H?

RLC-H is the same Rocky Linux you know and love — a bug-for-bug compatible version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) — with advanced security hardening and value-added services like:

  • Enhanced Security Hardening: Hardened core packages that help minimize zero-day attacks
  • Advanced Threat Detection: Proactive protection against malicious threats
  • Compliance Ready: Pre-hardened images for frameworks like DISA STIG or CIS
  • FIPS 140-3 Compliant: Certified cryptographic modules for regulated environments
  • Service Level Objectives (SLO): Security patches within 30 days of release
  • Supply Chain Validation: Packages verified by CIQ for secure deployment
  • Indemnification: Legal peace of mind for claims of infringement related to open source software

RLC-H vs RLC

Feature RLC RLC-H
1:1 compatibility with Enterprise Linux ✅ ✅
Security hardening by CIQ ❌ ✅
Linux Kernel Runtime Guard (LKRG) ❌ ✅
Memory corruption protection ❌ ✅
Enhanced malloc hardening ❌ ✅
Pre-hardened compliance images ❌ ✅
FIPS 140-3 certification ❌ Compliant
Advanced attack detection ❌ ✅
Supply chain validation by CIQ ✅ ✅
SLO on security updates ❌ ✅
Limited indemnification ✅ ✅
Priority dedicated access to repositories ✅ ✅
Professional support with SLAs Available Available

Use Cases

RLC-H is ideal for:

High-Security Environments

  • Government agencies and contractors
  • Defense and military applications
  • Critical infrastructure operations
  • Financial services and banking

Regulated Industries

  • Healthcare systems handling PHI
  • Financial institutions with PCI DSS requirements
  • Government contractors requiring FedRAMP compliance
  • Organizations subject to HIPAA, SOX, or other regulatory frameworks

Enterprise Security

  • Companies with strict security policies
  • Organizations requiring security certifications
  • Businesses with valuable intellectual property
  • Environments processing sensitive customer data

Support

  • Technical Support: Professional Linux support available from CIQ.
  • Training: Training programs available for RLC-H administration and security management.

For more information about RLC-H pricing, licensing, training, and support options, please contact CIQ Sales or visit the CIQ website.