Protect Ubuntu Desktop: block Linux malware

Recently, we have been talking about the usage of Ubuntu Dash and other different features, but all of them ignore the security.

It does not mean that there is no Ubuntu SECURITY Article, but that security is not emphasized as the mainstream. In this article, Matt Hartley, author of Datamation, will describe how to protect Ubuntu security.

Linux malware

We all think that Linux is invincible, and all Linux versions are not threatened by malware.

If you understand that malware will expand, you will realize that no operating system is completely secure. New users are wondering how malware affects different desktop platforms.

For example, Windows has been fighting against malware for a long time. Even if the current version is much safer than the previous version, many Windows users still need to resist malware.

Recently, we have seen a large number of security products deployed in Linux and OS X. These products are meaningless for solving security threats, because they are useless on Linux.

In short, using anti-virus scanning in Linux is only useful in dual-boot systems that protect shared files. For example, when a temporary shared file is added through a mailbox or Dropbox.

However, this does not mean that Linux will not be attacked by other attack media.

Hidden security is not enough

Aside from the Linux virus threats, there are many factors that make Ubuntu under attack threat. However, unlike other operating systems, the malicious software of the system may come from the Web rather than infected files.

Of course, there are always exceptions. Usually, security deployment is not in place, causing Linux users to get into trouble.

The most common attack is phishing. The code is not executed on the machine. Attackers can perform terminal user behavior or provide key login information for the attacked account. These attacks may occur through Sina Weibo applications or authorized applications.

Similar attacks come from web-based code, including cross-site scripting, extended point request forgery, and other related vulnerabilities.

For advanced Linux users, these attacks are too minor, while new users rely on browser plug-ins to add additional security layers. Let's talk about more details later.

Another vulnerable point is not to update the Linux system to the latest security patch, nor to set the browser to automatically use Java or Flash at startup. The most dangerous thing is the Java Plug-in the browser.

Due to the cross-platform compatibility of Java, this poses a continuous threat to Linux users because they do not pay much attention to browser configuration.