[ Thanks to Sensei
for this link. ]
“It’s important to be aware that when you’re installing Linux,
you’re installing a powerful server operating system. As a home
user, you probably won’t use much of what’s installed by default,
and anything you don’t use is a security risk you don’t have to
take. This means that most of the install procedure for a user like
you or I actually involves not installing things, and then
configuring the remaining elements as securely as possible. I
can’t stress enough that security is an important and ongoing
concern, one that starts with installing and configuring your
system as a stand alone box (so that it can’t get hacked before you
harden it), continues with constant attention to security holes and
fixes, and then never ends.”
“Hopefully that doesn’t scare anyone off! Installed with any
sort of care, Linux is no less secure than Windows, and is in many
ways moreso. Someone has to want to crack your Linux box, as
opposed to just sending out an email macro virus. Unfortunately,
there are a lot of people out there that would do you harm, and
with the increasing popularity of cable modems, dsl, and home
networks, you really need to give security a lot of attention
during the install, and later by staying abreast of the current
security patches.”
“The very first step is to undertake your install while not
connected to other computers. This is a simple criteria to meet if
you’re going to have a stand alone box with only dial-up
connectivity to the internet, but it’s something to be aware of if
you plan to be part of a network. After the install, you’re going
to go back and tighten the security on your Linux box (known as
hardening), so you don’t want anyone to get a chance at you while
you’re still installing. This probably sounds exceedingly cautious,
but paranoia is the best approach to security so you may as well
get started right away.”