There are some out there who would like for you to believe that Linux is unsafe. What better way to instill fear than to form doubt in your mind about a system’s abilities to protect your data?

A reason for the supposed lack of security often cited in FUD is the origin and maintenance of Linux in the “hacker” community. The term “hacker” has evolved from a term of endearment to one associated almost exclusively with cybercrime. To say that Linux was created and is supported by hackers gives the impression that the OS and its related applications are riddled with built-in security holes, backdoors for gaining system access, spyware for purposes of identity theft, hidden network tools that help intruders cover their footprints as they travel from machine to machine through cyberspace, and any other sort of malicious software for various and sundry purposes.