How safe is it to use my fresh Ubuntu?

[tomektragarz]

Hi,

I was a typical windows user who had enough so I tried Ubuntu. So far I have been loving it. I feel like there are many more possibilities than I had in Win. I am keen on programming (I knew some CSS, PHP etc before so I loved the idea of using Terminal to improve/control the environment).
But I am still a beginner in Linux. I must say I don't know much about it. I just wanted to know If I am secure enough to use my bank details on Linux Ubuntu if it has just been installed? I also installed Firestarter as my Firewall and that would be it... Would that be secure enough? My home network is a secure, password protected network anyway but I don't want my Linux-running computer become a pray for hackers.

NB: I know you Linux-guru guys might find it funny but you must know that Linux is becoming more and more popular nowadays :) also among those lame former windows users.

[linuxisevolution]

Even if Linux was the main desktop os it would have almost no viruses and for one reason:

sudo

Nothing can be executed that will hurt your system without the proper authentication. Ubuntu is 1000X more secure than Windows. If you used your credit card info on windows you are an idiot, no offense :D

[billgoldberg]

Hi,

I was a typical windows user who had enough so I tried Ubuntu. So far I have been loving it. I feel like there are many more possibilities than I had in Win. I am keen on programming (I knew some CSS, PHP etc before so I loved the idea of using Terminal to improve/control the environment).
But I am still a beginner in Linux. I must say I don't know much about it. I just wanted to know If I am secure enough to use my bank details on Linux Ubuntu if it has just been installed? I also installed Firestarter as my Firewall and that would be it... Would that be secure enough? My home network is a secure, password protected network anyway but I don't want my Linux-running computer become a pray for hackers.

NB: I know you Linux-guru guys might find it funny but you must know that Linux is becoming more and more popular nowadays :) also among those lame former windows users.

Before doing so, make sure you update your system.

System updates include security updates for all programs installed on the pc.

Remove Firestarter, it isn't needed and can do more harm then good.

--

Just keep your system up to date and you are safe.

[billgoldberg]

Even if Linux was the main desktop os it would have almost no viruses and for one reason:

sudo

Nothing can be executed that will hurt your system without the proper authentication. Ubuntu is 1000X more secure than Windows. If you used your credit card info on windows you are an idiot, no offense :D

What you are saying is not true.

It is true that Linux is a lot safer than Windows and OSX and sudo surely helps, but a linux system is not invulnerable.

Also, you statement that nothing can be executed without the proper authentication is not true.

Gnome and KDE both have features that makes this possible.

--

To OP: don't let me scare you, you are as safe as you can be behind a home computer connected to the internet.

[linuxisevolution]

What you are saying is not true.

It is true that Linux is a lot safer than Windows and OSX and sudo surely helps, but a linux system is not invulnerable.

Also, you statement that nothing can be executed without the proper authentication is not true.

Gnome and KDE both have features that makes this possible.

--

To OP: don't let me scare you, you are as safe as you can be behind a home computer connected to the internet.

How am I wrong? What I meant was that Linux will not let your harm the root filesystem without you being root. And he says on a default install meaning he most likely did not change those settings to make password renegotiation automatic.

[theozzlives]

What you are saying is not true.

It is true that Linux is a lot safer than Windows and OSX and sudo surely helps, but a linux system is not invulnerable.

Also, you statement that nothing can be executed without the proper authentication is not true.

Gnome and KDE both have features that makes this possible.

--

To OP: don't let me scare you, you are as safe as you can be behind a home computer connected to the internet.

What's not true? The fact that Linux is more secure.... TRUE! Or the fact that bank info on Windows is stupid... TRUE! I saw on the news that Windows file share users were getting their bank and tax info stolen off their machines and sold on the net without their knowledge. That wouldn't happen with Linux.

[linuxisevolution]

What's not true? The fact that Linux is more secure.... TRUE! Or the fact that bank info on Windows is stupid... TRUE! I saw on the news that Windows file share users were getting their bank and tax info stolen off their machines and sold on the net without their knowledge. That wouldn't happen with Linux.

Thank you ;)

[ClaytonOT]

Yes if you used your credit card on Windows you should feel a lot safer doing it on Linux. As posters already pointed out, it's much less likely to encounter a virus on Linux than Windows. So experiencing a trojan or keylogger is way less likely.

[swoody]

Hi tomektragarz, and welcome to Ubuntu and the Forums!! ):P

As the other posters have said, Ubuntu is a very stable and safe OS to use straight out of the box. It's very secure exactly the way it is. The majority of Ubuntu users (myself included) have come from Windows, and still have the "Windows Mindset" of Anti-Virus, Anti-Malware, defragmenting, Firewalls, etc. and it's usually difficult to comprehend the differences between Windows and Linux. If you really want to learn about Security, bodhi.zazen has created a great guide that you can read over here:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=510812

Also, as a new Ubuntu user, you may find great use of the two links I have in my signature for beginners. The Ubuntu Guide is a GREAT reference resource to have on hand while you're learning. You may want to print out a copy, and keep it near your computer :)

Again, Welcome to Ubuntu, and the Forums, and if you have any questions, don't hesitiate to ask! This is a great place to get all kinds of help :D

[t0p]

If you used your credit card info on windows you are an idiot, no offense :D

You seem to be suggesting that using a credit card via Windoze is inherently dangerous. That just isn't true. Okay, it would be foolish to carry out a credit card transaction over a default Windoze installation. But it is possible to make a Windoze box secure.

Vanilla Linux is more secure than vanilla Windoze, yes. But an idiot is quite capable of having his credit card details stolen while using a Linux box. If he tries hard.

[theozzlives]

I love the fact that I don't have to have hundreds of dollars and megabytes of disk space for software to protect my system, and they still get in. I feel a lot more free about having an "always on" internet connection.

[halitech]

Hi,

I was a typical windows user who had enough so I tried Ubuntu. So far I have been loving it. I feel like there are many more possibilities than I had in Win. I am keen on programming (I knew some CSS, PHP etc before so I loved the idea of using Terminal to improve/control the environment).
But I am still a beginner in Linux. I must say I don't know much about it. I just wanted to know If I am secure enough to use my bank details on Linux Ubuntu if it has just been installed? I also installed Firestarter as my Firewall and that would be it... Would that be secure enough? My home network is a secure, password protected network anyway but I don't want my Linux-running computer become a pray for hackers.

NB: I know you Linux-guru guys might find it funny but you must know that Linux is becoming more and more popular nowadays :) also among those lame former windows users.

if you have a hardware firewall (router) then you dont really need a software firewall. plus if its not configured right, it can cause more headaches then its worth.

Even if Linux was the main desktop os it would have almost no viruses and for one reason:

sudo

Nothing can be executed that will hurt your system without the proper authentication. Ubuntu is 1000X more secure than Windows. If you used your credit card info on windows you are an idiot, no offense :D

you are correct in that linux is more secure but you can't stop stupid and while Ubuntu has done a great job of making an easy to use system that is very secure, you can still get into trouble using it.

What you are saying is not true.

It is true that Linux is a lot safer than Windows and OSX and sudo surely helps, but a linux system is not invulnerable.

Also, you statement that nothing can be executed without the proper authentication is not true.

Gnome and KDE both have features that makes this possible.


Not only that but the home directory can be wiped along with anything in it without having root priviledges

How am I wrong? What I meant was that Linux will not let your harm the root filesystem without you being root. And he says on a default install meaning he most likely did not change those settings to make password renegotiation automatic.

blanket statements like you made earlier without clarifying like you just did is what makes your statement false.

What's not true? The fact that Linux is more secure.... TRUE! Or the fact that bank info on Windows is stupid... TRUE! I saw on the news that Windows file share users were getting their bank and tax info stolen off their machines and sold on the net without their knowledge. That wouldn't happen with Linux.

more secure but not perfect. I used windows for years with online banking and never had a problem. Its not the system that is at fault, its people not being educated on how to use their systems properly that is allowing others to get info they shouldn't have and selling it on the net without the owners permission or knowledge. Far is not happening on Linux, don't count on it if someone is stupid enough to save something where they shouldn't have.

[MrWES]

What's not true? The fact that Linux is more secure.... TRUE! Or the fact that bank info on Windows is stupid... TRUE! I saw on the news that Windows file share users were getting their bank and tax info stolen off their machines and sold on the net without their knowledge. That wouldn't happen with Linux.

It would if you were stupid enough to share your ~/Documents folder containing mp3's and your tax information on p2p softwarez. Also, many p2p software programs add shared files and folders by scanning your system and recommending what to share; most people accept the defaults and unfortunately, end up sharing more than they are aware of.

Bill

[blueridgedog]

Please try and keep to the OP's question and provide useful information. Let's not degenerate into a debate about a subjective definition of secure...for you experts, there are a lot of other people who need help out there and your time is valuable.

Suffice to say that the answer is yes, we as a group feel it is safe enough for your use and for you to trust. I do.

[donkyhotay]

I don't see this mentioned prevoiusly but I feel it should be said here, firestarter is *not* a firewall program like you are used to in windows. It is merely a GUI front-end for iptables the firewall you already have installed on your system. Unlike windows where you need to download zone alarm or something similar you are already protected even before you download firestarter and will remain protected if you choose to uninstall it. The real purpose of firestarter is to actually *remove* protections for convenience purposes such as allowing incoming connections on bittorrent or something similar.

[billgoldberg]

I don't see this mentioned prevoiusly but I feel it should be said here, firestarter is *not* a firewall program like you are used to in windows. It is merely a GUI front-end for iptables the firewall you already have installed on your system. Unlike windows where you need to download zone alarm or something similar you are already protected even before you download firestarter and will remain protected if you choose to uninstall it. The real purpose of firestarter is to actually *remove* protections for convenience purposes such as allowing incoming connections on bittorrent or something similar.

Hence the advise I gave to remove it.

--

Someone said about not being able to touch the root system.

Well that's not completely true.

Since you have access to ./.bashrc you can trick users into giving your malicious script the root password when they enter it using sudo or gksudo (you want to install a program, you need to enter your password -> script now knows the password and has full system access). Also just having access to /home can be extremely harmful for the user.

[3rdalbum]

To put it bluntly, use common sense online and apply all your software updates, and you will be safe on Ubuntu. You'd be very safe even without applying the updates, but there's no sense tempting fate.

Also, a pet hate of mine: It's Ubuntu Linux or just Ubuntu. It's not "Linux Ubuntu". Ubuntu is not made by a company called Linux.

[Na$$im]

HI guys,
what about w32 malicious program running under WINE on Ubuntu ? is that possible ?

[simtaalo]

Not only that but the home directory can be wiped along with anything in it without having root priviledges


which is one of the only big vulnerabilities i see in the linux system, therefore i keep nothing in that home folder that i'm worried about.

[swoody]

HI guys,
what about w32 malicious program running under WINE on Ubuntu ? is that possible ?

I have heard of cases where a virus will try to run or spread to your computer in Wine, but for the most part they are still harmless to your Ubuntu install. Linux and Windows are really quite different, so a Windows specific virus won't have much of a chance of doing anything under Linux. That being said, check these out for more info:
http://www.linux.com/feature/42031
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=72598

[stalkingwolf]

I have been buying and selling online for 8 years. Using one or another
flavor of Linux for 4+ years, and Ubuntu since 6.10. The only card breach
I have had was a VISA system breach and that within the last Month. The problem was identified by them, a new card issued and the old one deactivated all before my account could be accessed. So the banks(at least mine) are doing their part to.

[marco123]

The only thing you need to install is the noscript add-on in Firefox. Also see the links in my signature.

Noscript: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/722

Cheers, Marco.

[stchman]

Even if Linux was the main desktop os it would have almost no viruses and for one reason:

sudo

Nothing can be executed that will hurt your system without the proper authentication. Ubuntu is 1000X more secure than Windows. If you used your credit card info on windows you are an idiot, no offense :D

Agreed, and Vista users are annoyed at the one thing that keeps them safe (the UAC) so they turn it off.

[marco123]

Agreed, and Vista users are annoyed at the one thing that keeps them safe (the UAC) so they turn it off.

UAC = Unix-like Account Control

Cheers, Marco.

[Na$$im]

I have heard of cases where a virus will try to run or spread to your computer in Wine, but for the most part they are still harmless to your Ubuntu install. Linux and Windows are really quite different, so a Windows specific virus won't have much of a chance of doing anything under Linux. That being said, check these out for more info:
http://www.linux.com/feature/42031
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=72598


Thanks a lot Swoody ! very interesting stuff !

[ugm6hr]

This thread has run it's course now.

I hope the OP is reassured by the Ubuntu / Linux security model.

Moved to Recurring Discussions.

[Mud.Knee.Havoc]

Nothing can be executed that will hurt your system without the proper authentication. Ubuntu is 1000X more secure than Windows. If you used your credit card info on windows you are an idiot, no offense :D

You seem to think that system files (which can be reinstalled very easily) are more important than user files (documents, photos, etc. which cannot be replaced in many cases!).

It is true that linux is safer than Windows. People who use Windows, though, in a responsible way (no downloading games from p2p, no using shady keygens, etc) can do their banking in a safe manner.

Let's not throw around words like "idiot" while we're being blind linux fanboys, OK? It doesn't show the linux community in a good light.

[SunnyRabbiera]

Much safer then it is to use a fresh XP without antivirus, antispyware, antiadware, antitrojan, a proper firewall, etc...

UAC = Unix-like Account Control

Cheers, Marco.

Yeh but UAC is far more naggy then anything Unix systems have

[pedja_portugalac]

I am using Ubuntu every day for my home banking, transfers etc, even from the "unsecured" connections (hotels, train stations, neighbour wireless). Never had single problem.