Linux, security and hackers

[DoctorQuest]

I am really considering getting a Linux boot set up on one my PCs. I get, in general, why it beats out Windows but I am wondering how secure it can be given it is open source.

It is just the intrinsic crappiness of Windows as a secure OS? How does Linux protect against viruses and such?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[eyebiter]

Linux requires a much higher level of technical expertise when compared with Windows.

Do you know how to download, configure, then compile the kernel?

Which Unix or Linux distribution are you considering?

Is this a single user stand alone workstation or a server in a shared environment with multiple users?

Many of the security concerns will depend on the intended use...

[DoctorQuest]

I am an IT professional so I consider myself savvy in general but not necessarily with Linux in particular.

I am looking at using it on a personal workstation. Linux Mint is what I am looking to install based on some recommendations I've gotten here. What I use it for depends greatly on what it's capabilities are. Certainly general web browsing.

[Huw the Poo]

Commenting now to remind myself to reply when not drunk.  But let me address one point now: being open source is part of what makes it so secure.  What's more secure: closed source code you trust a single entity to maintain,
or open source code that the whole world can audit?

[Huw the Poo]

OK, just woke up so presumably not drunk any more!

I am wondering how secure it can be given it is open source.

Yeah, as I said last night, the fact that it's open source is part of why it's more secure.  Vulnerabilities in software are very often - maybe even mostly - discovered by users of the software.  When code is open source, there is nothing preventing the user from inspecting the code to find out what caused the vuln, and they can even patch it themselves or submit a bug report so that the developers can patch it.  In open source, in general, security vulnerabilities are fixed extremely quickly.  Anyone can audit the code.  With closed source code, in contrast, vulnerabilities are much more difficult to spot, and even if you can spot one you can't do a thing about it except report it to the company responsible, who may - or frequently may not - fix it.  Sometimes they may even take out an injunction to prevent its existence becoming known and still fail to fix it.  If I need secure software, I'll take open source over proprietary any day.

It is just the intrinsic crappiness of Windows as a secure OS? How does Linux protect against viruses and such?

I'm no programmer myself, but it's my understanding that Windows was never designed to be a multi-user system from the ground up, as Linux was.  There are a whole host of reasons why Windows code is considered insecure.  It's even worse than that, though; all of the recent revelations about Windows 10 show that Windows is actually designed to be inherently insecure.  I don't know about you, but I certainly don't want my operating system transmitting my keystrokes and browsing history across the internet!  That people can even consider using Windows for anything other than, say, playing games is baffling to me.

Linux is, by design, extremely difficult to compromise by a virus.  Proofs of concept have been developed, but as far as I know there hasn't been a single instance of one in the wild.  There are all sorts of reasons for this.  One reason you'll hear is that Linux has such a small marketshare and is thus not a tempting enough target - this is a red herring.  The desktop marketshare is small, certainly, but at least half the internet runs on Linux (and open source software).  It's just more secure, simple as that.

Linux requires a much higher level of technical expertise when compared with Windows.

I'm not sure how much I agree with this.  Linux is different, and people are generally brought up with Windows.  My kids have had the benefit of starting with Linux and so they find it easy.

Do you know how to download, configure, then compile the kernel?

I've been using Linux for probably a decade now and I haven't done this once.  Recompiling kernels is for power users who need a specific function to be built in.  Also, it's my understanding that it's actually quite easy to do anyway, if you ever have the need.

I am looking at using it on a personal workstation. Linux Mint is what I am looking to install based on some recommendations I've gotten here. What I use it for depends greatly on what it's capabilities are. Certainly general web browsing.

Linux Mint is a fine choice, I use it myself and I always recommend it as a distro for newcomers to Linux.  It should be capable of anything you want to do with your PC.