[vox-tech] Ubuntu Security Software

[Richard S. Crawford]

On Fri, Aug 15, 2008 at 3:35 PM, Steve Weiss <stevew at bbenginc.com> wrote:
> I've been following the fascinating "Verify Ubuntu files" discussion and can
> see how complex an issue system security is. But my question is, what do you
> recommend a newbie like me do for security? I've been running Ubuntu on my
> laptop since an Installfest last Fall, but haven't found the time to learn
> much about its innards yet.
>
> When I asked Chris and Alex this at the time, they both shrugged their
> shoulders and said basically don't click any links you don't trust, and that
> Linux doesn't get much hacker attention. Neither recommended running any
> kind of security suite for Linux.
>
> I find this approach a little scary after many years using various Windows
> security suites and discussions like yours.  And "trust" is a relative
> thing. What would you all recommend for new users? Are there good
> virus/firewall/spyware packages for Ubuntu that are reasonably automated?

Steve,

I am hardly an expert myself, but I will say this: I've rebuilt
several Windows boxes that had been compromised by malware, viruses,
adware, and more. I once set up an FTP server on Windows, and it was
broken into within a day, in spite of the really tight protection I
put on it. A Windows box with the latest installations of Norton,
AdAware, etc., etc., running tight firewalls, etc., *will* be hacked.
It really just is a matter of time. (Caveat: I haven't used much
Windows since W2K, and I understand that WinXP and Vista are much
tighter).

I've been running Linux since 2000, and various flavors of Ubuntu
(mostly Kubuntu, but I also have an Xubuntu laptop) since 2005. And I
have never once had to rebuild a Linux box because it had been
compromised in any way (I've had to rebuild several Linux boxes that I
broke myself, but that's a different story). I'd say that as long as
you keep up with the updates when you computer tells you about them,
you'll be fine.

-- 
Richard S. Crawford (rscrawford at mossroot.com)
http://www.mossroot.com
Publisher and Editor in Chief, Daikaijuzine (http://www.daikaijuzine.com)