Online security

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giraffes_rule

Online security

Post by giraffes_rule »

Does having an encrypted laptop make it any safer to perform finacial transactions online? What about using tor browser?
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
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nomko

Re: Online security

Post by nomko »

First look at this question: does your bank provide a secure connection using https://??
https:// is safer than the "standard" http:// connection.

And what are your real concerns about your safety? You must not forget that Linux isn't windows and Windows isn't Linux. Linux, as operating system, is much safer than Windows.
giraffes_rule

Re: Online security

Post by giraffes_rule »

No real concerns - just being paranoid! But yes that's a good point - linux is safer anyway.
nomko

Re: Online security

Post by nomko »

giraffes_rule wrote:No real concerns - just being paranoid! But yes that's a good point - linux is safer anyway.
Don't think it is the safest operating system. Even linux is vulnerable, for instance, any leak in Adobe reader for windows can also be found in Adobe reader for Linux. But Linux is much safer due to it's more secured root management system: a standard user doesn't have access to certain folders and files, only root can get privileges to gain access to all files and folders. And beside that, without root access it is almost impossible to retrieve your user password. If someone does get access on your system from the outside, that person faces 1 problem: how to get your password without any rootaccess to get full access to your system....

Another point which must be explained to you, the Linux operating system has another architecture than Windows. Meaning, any program, including viruses, spyware, malware and trojans, written for Windows will not work on Linux. So, that vulnerability threat is also reduced to a minimum, but keep in mind that any Windows program installed under Wine or a virtual machine like Virtualbox, is still prone to any threat!

I'm using Linux since 2007 and never used a firewall, antivirus or whatsoever. Never had any problems with viruses, spam, spyware/malware/trojans.
giraffes_rule

Re: Online security

Post by giraffes_rule »

Okay, thanks :)
nomko

Re: Online security

Post by nomko »

No problem!
eanfrid

Re: Online security

Post by eanfrid »

giraffes_rule wrote:Does having an encrypted laptop make it any safer to perform finacial transactions online ?
No. Encryption protects your data when the computer is shut down.
nomko

Re: Online security

Post by nomko »

eanfrid wrote:
giraffes_rule wrote:Does having an encrypted laptop make it any safer to perform finacial transactions online ?
No. Encryption protects your data when the computer is shut down.
+1!
Colin66
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Re: Online security

Post by Colin66 »

From a security point of view, how safe is it to access the internet using a new updated version of linux, e.g. Mint 17, which is installed as a guest OS inside Virtual Box which is hosted on an old version of linux such as Mint 10?

Is it any safer than using Mint 10 directly?

Is it as safe as using Mint 17 directly?
nomko

Re: Online security

Post by nomko »

Colin66 wrote:From a security point of view, how safe is it to access the internet using a new updated version of linux, e.g. Mint 17, which is installed as a guest OS inside Virtual Box which is hosted on an old version of linux such as Mint 10?
Is it any safer than using Mint 10 directly?
Is it as safe as using Mint 17 directly?
Yes it is. Under Mint 17 lot's of security risks, bugs, etc, are fixed. This doesn't say that the latest version is very, very safe to use. No operating system is 101% safe and secure. Not Windows, not MacOS and even not Linux. But using the latest release over an old release is really recommended for all the (bug/security) fixes implemented.

Linux Mint 10 is obsolete and no longer maintained and supported. Not even by the community. So using Mint 10 is not recommended by anyone here! Using Mint 17 won't guarantee you 101% safety and security, but is does provide you with a much better secure and safe operating system.

Another point of safety is that there aren't hardly any Linux viruses to be found. Although there are a few, but most are experimental viruses. Any malicious software like trojan's viruses, spyware, etc. created for Windows doesn't have any effect on *nix systems (Linux/Unix/BSD) since the architecture of the *nix operating system differs from the Windows operating system and Linux doesn't use the same maps and folder structure as Windows. The only but here is when you install Windows under a virtual machine. That Windows is still the same Windows, vulnerable for every malicious software. But it still doesn't harm a Linux system though.

It doesn't matter which operating system you're running (BSD, Windows, Linux, MacOS, Unix), the biggest security thread for each and every system is not to be found on the internet. The biggest security thread can be found behind the computer on a chair.....namely the users!
Colin66
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Posts: 33
Joined: Fri Jul 11, 2014 6:26 am
Location: England

Re: Online security

Post by Colin66 »

Hi nomko, thanks for reply.
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