Linux is not safe as you think

Linux is often thought to be less vulnerable to the kinds of threats that regularly plague Microsoft Windows systems. Much of that perceived security comes from the relatively low number of Linux systems, but are cybercriminals starting to see value in choosing quality over quantity?

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The Linux Threat Landscape Is Changing
Security researchers at companies such as Kaspersky and Blackberry, along with federal agencies like the FBI and NSA are warning about malware authors increasing their focus on Linux.

The OS is now recognized as a gateway to valuable data such as trade secrets, intellectual property, and personnel information. Linux servers can also be used as a staging point for infection of wider networks full of Windows, macOS, and Android devices.

Even if it’s not the OS running on your desktop or laptop, your data is likely to be exposed to Linux sooner or later. Your cloud storage, VPN, and email providers, as well as your employer, health insurer, government services, or university, are almost certainly running Linux as part of their networks, and chances are you own or will own a Linux-powered Internet Of Things (IoT) device now or in the future.

Many systems administrators might assume their organization is not important enough to be a target. However, even if your network isn’t a big prize, your suppliers or clients might prove more tempting, and getting access to your system, via a phishing attack, for example, may be a first step to infiltrating theirs. So it’s worth evaluating how you protect your system.

List of Malware in 2020 affecting linux