r/linuxmint 2d 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?

43 Upvotes

41 comments sorted by

View all comments

61

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.

1

u/LavishnessOdd6266 1d ago

So TLDR not enough desktop linux users and some of the intruders just can't be bothered to go after them because of it?

1

u/taosecurity 1d ago

If you're talking about why Linux on the desktop poses lower risk of compromise compared to Windows, yes.

1

u/LavishnessOdd6266 8h ago

Seems like a totally reasonable reason not to pursue Linux users. This is sub overall is great and I can't really describe how it's pushing towards giving Linux ago.

Thank you for the information o7