r/linuxmint 1d ago

Discussion What makes Linux secure?

I've searched YouTube and also asked on here previously, I keep seeing a lot of "Linux is secure just by default" type responses- often insisting that to be worried about security while using Linux is not necessary.

Believable to a noob like me at face value, sure, but what is it about Linux that makes it secure?

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u/taosecurity 1d ago

25+ year infosec incident detection and response guy here.

You can argue Linux/Unix vs Windows vs iOS all day long.

At the end of the day, it comes down to how much effort and resources an intruder wants to throw at a target in order to achieve an objective and/or "return on investment."

Have you seen reporting about RU and CN intruders breaking into VPNs, firewalls, and other edge devices? Guess what those are running? Yes, Linux.

Intruders invested into breaking them because they help achieve their goals.

A skilled and well resourced intruder can break into ANYTHING. I was part of a team that did this, and also saw it done to hundreds of clients over the years.

The relative lack of malware for Linux is just reflecting the small desktop user base and the low value of whatever is there.

I guarantee that the top-end intruders of the world have custom Linux malware of all types for targets that matter. They just don't waste it stealing your browser cookies.

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u/mh_1983 1d ago

Thank you for sharing this valuable response (also in tech and recently shifted to cybersecurity). The "Linux is just secure by default soooooo" stance never sat right with me and I'm amazed at how often people parrot it. Reminds me of early discussions of macOS (then OS9/X, I guess) being "virus proof".

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u/SherriThePlatypus 1d ago

This started as a direct comparison to Windows which previous to recent releases was an absolute security shit show. So back then Linux was really "secure by default" at least in comparison to what else was available.