Security Warnings with Live CDs

It is high time I should write something on security on Linux.

Ever since I started using Linux I never worried about viruses or crashes and hence I never had a firewall to protect me.

If at all I used standard security or none at all since I started downloading Live CDs.

Incidents developing over this year and events most recently happened were eyeopeners.

One needs to have a Security Policy for each desktop in installation.

I follow the Standard Linux Principles.

1. Never use a distribution that is popular but without root as a user.

Unfortunately this principle applies to Ububntu, too.

That is why I use Ubuntu Linux as demonstration only and never for daily use.

Su is not a good option for me but it is a server administrator's tool as far as I am concerned.

Desktop is not a server.

2. Second Rule is always work as a normal user and never as the root.

3. 3rd Rule is to use high security options and firewall.

4. 4th Rule is to use child protection since there are lot of pornography in the web.

5. Firth rule is when downloading use only a trusted sites.

6. Use light versions of Live CDs for only relatively miner work like accessing your email but not for downloading.

7. Once you are happy with the distribution use the standard version of that Live CD for installation.

I will add up to ten when I have given thought to other current issues and that crop up with time.

For the developers I have this request.

For all light versions of Live CDs please add some enhanced security package bundled into one pack with instructions, how to use them for newbies.

I started using Linux distributions because of their excellent security.

We must not relax on that principle since the hackers that Microsoft hire are at work like worms eating the essence, now and forever, and some of them are modifying Open Source Distributions and posting rouge Linux distributions on sites that are not maintained properly.

Freespire derivatives is one example only.