Anonymous
Favorite Answer
Not much on the OS really.
It (like all computers) uses TCP/iP for Internet access; and of course the browser being the main conduit in and out means there is where you concentrate your attention.
For Firefox that would be:
The following mods help, but methods ("vectors") are dynamic, and users must be aware of emerging threats.
FIREFOX: Tools> Options> Privacy> top drop slot set to "Firefox will use custom settings..."> Check 'Accept Cookies from sites' &
►Un-Check 'Accept 3rd Party cookies'.
A good collection of effective security & privacy add-on's (Official Mozilla) is here:
https://addons.mozilla.org/collections/dunbar-pappy/dunbarpappy/
►"AdBlock Plus" (with 'subscription' added) helps defray rubbish.
► At minimum, get the #1 item for malware prevention: "NoScript", which constrains automagically fetching & deployment of potentially tainted assets.
Bookmark and refer to this page for how it works, and how to use it when sites don't function as you need: http://noscript.net/features#contentblocking
And Java seems to be an on-going train wreck: disable/uninstall if not essential to your needs.
Keep your head in the game when sending or receiving data with websites...the 'Net is packed with crooks trying to separate you from your money.
Use a NAT router (with adequate & proper set-up if WiFi).
Ed G
I did nothing. I only ran it for about 7 months. My reason for running it was to see how fast a system ran with out all the security stuff that you need on windows. So my only security on Ubuntu was whatever is built into it. I did not download much just several things like add ons for the browser.
What I found was that pages loaded faster that on windows. They just snapped up. Really no loading at all. But my windows is also fast but I could tell a difference. My research online showed their was not much to worry about from malware. Never had any problem at all. But after 7 months there were some things that I could not do as easily on linux that I could on windows. After trying for awhile the speed I gained did not add up to what I lost with the programs I had to use. That being linux versions of the programs.
.Paul
Disable any unused services and applications.
Install SELinux (Security-Enhanced Linux) application.