"One of the most attractive things about Linux is the number of
installation options one is presented with and how tempting it is
to customize. But for a newbie, in terms of Web security and PC
hygiene, that's also the worst thing about it. The fact is, Windows
is easier than Linux for a casual user to make fairly secure,
whereas Linux is easier than Windows for a power user to make very
secure.
"For most home PC users, fairly secure is perfectly adequate,
and that's what we'll be concentrating on below. In a week or two
I'll get into details for power users, but for now I'm going to
concentrate on a particular presumed reader: a home user who's
fairly new to the Linux desktop, who's using a packaged distro, and
who's not intimately familiar with PC security--a 'recovering
Windows user', let's say.
"Fortunately, Linux is a wise investment; you already have, or
can easily find for free, virtually everything you need to make it
secure. There's no need to buy hundreds of dollars' worth of
security utilities and services, though you do need to learn how to
use what you've got. But before we get to the Internet security
matters promised in the headline, we have some housecleaning to
do..."
