security on DSLForum: Other Help Topics Topic: security on DSL started by: guy24x Posted by guy24x on Jan. 25 2005,09:40
hi,i just installed dsl 0.9.1 on my pc, and it works great! is linux secure for use on the internet? i mean, do i have to take any precautions like installing an antivirus, etc? bcoz, hopefully, i dont want to go the windoze way of installing an antivirus, patches, blah blah. is it recommended to install the latest version of dsl with regard to security? does the latest version of dsl have some security fixes etc? sometimes, i remain connected to the internet for long periods, so i just wanted to know if i have to take any precautions. i am new to the linux world, so i just wanted to make sure! thx in advance, guy24x Posted by mikshaw on Jan. 25 2005,13:04
I don't know a lot about the security of DSL in particular, but at this time Linux is typically believed to be more secure by design than Windows. There are very few virii which affect it, so antivirus in Linux is mostly for the safety of connected Windows machines. Spyware, as far as I know, is non-existent in Linux...at least in open-source projects. It's virtually impossible to install software without the power of root. That said, one major step in preventing security issues is to create a root password for your DSL system....one which is complex enough that it can't be easily guessed. By 'guessed' I mean guessed by a script rather than by a human, so anything taken straight out of a dictionary, for example, would probably not be a good idea.
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