I have never understood why protecting a computer from harmful programs is so complicated. A computer just needs to disallow input of executable code from the internet. The operating system knows when executable code is input and made available for execution.
Hacking by the hacker getting passwords is a human thing. No operating system can protect from that.
Of course there’s no excuse for weak passwords.
“all you really need is a spare laptop or desktop, one or two years old”
Sorry, I use mine for over a decade...
Like Apple, Linux has such a small market share that hackers, who want to spread as much destruction as possible, tend to ignore it for bigger fish. Strength in obscurity...
Sadly for Linux users, most of the programs that users need or want to run, are not available for the Linux platform. A properly maintained and configured Windows machine is secure and vastly more versatile.
If you’re a Pervert and surf in strange places no OS is Secure ,LOL
It is ONLY because the money is in the myriad MS and Apple users. What a silly premise.
Well for most Windows users, turning their computer off and letting it gather dust would be about the same. Linux is not used much at home for a reason.
Ping for your list?
Not sure why this is even up for discussion. Linux is secure thanks to the nature of the operating environment as a ‘deny all’ solution. It’s only when you starting enabling functionality (LAMP stack anyone?) that you introduce issues.
Windows desktops, on the other hand, try to pack as much into the user experience as possible and subsequently break any notion of security through the constant barrage of useless crap. (I’m looking at you Duolingo!)
Windows server, by comparison, is very secure out of the box with notable exceptions in SMB and NTLM, but with proper group policy configurations in the enterprise or simply running PowerShell commands to harden the OS, I’d put OOB Windows up against OOB Linux any day.
Each brand has different vulnerabilities, but they’re not natively unsafe until you start adding third-party stuff.
When IT Pros are asked by their relatives what computer they should buy, the answer is always the same: Buy a Mac and get AppleCare. Why? Because that way the pros will sleep at night instead of playing tech-support for Aunt Martha or Uncle Fred.