Creating a (sensibly) secure Linux system for everything.

My journey began around 2019, when I was preparing for university. I remember, buying the first “throwaway” laptop of mine (which later turned about to be one of my faviourite machines when travelling, but more on that on an other time) to experience the joy of Linux.

I installed Ubuntu (at the time probably 18 LTS) on it and started my journey. If I am not mistaken one of the main selling points for me was that Linux does not have any viruses for desktop users and it is just so customizable. I actually loved the idea, because due to sailing the seas, I did manage to get myself infected in the past, only my Eset antivirus preventing total annihilation from a ransomware…

Many years later, I realize that just how naive we are were and still are, thinking that a basic Ubuntu installation is actually secure, and I do not mean Ubuntu specifically (Canonical does actually some really sane defaults), but things that most of us miss.

Today I use Linux for everything, including gaming, development, making calls, editing text or media and I even host my own public-facing server.

In this series of scratching my own thoughts on this virtual piece of paper I would like to invite you to explore the following security plot-holes in the story of using desktop Linux:

• Booting securely
• Separating users’ and the system’s data
• Securing system services
• Using multifactor authentication
• Securing our browser
• Encryption without passwords
• Sandboxing our programs and systems