Booting from a USB stick and internet security

[Chris S]

I was going to install Lubuntu on my Windows 10 machine as a dual-boot. However Lubuntu will install and boot from a USB stick (and be internet-ready) in less than 30 seconds.
Am I correct in thinking that any malware I might access will be lost as soon as I shutdown my computer? The hard disk still only has the Windows partition on it.
If so this seems like an excellent way to maintain internet security.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I was going to install Lubuntu on my Windows 10 machine as a dual-boot. However Lubuntu will install and boot from a USB stick (and be internet-ready) in less than 30 seconds.
Am I correct in thinking that any malware I might access will be lost as soon as I shutdown my computer? The hard disk still only has the Windows partition on it.
If so this seems like an excellent way to maintain internet security.

Lubuntu is not normally troubled by malware, I have it on my desktop and don't run any security.

 

[Tangoup51]

I'm skeptical, I reckon any Malware that was serious enough of a threat would do what it normally does and install itself into your Lubuntu OS irregardless of it being located on a external source, meaning you'll be carrying Malware on that USB stick.

It'll just follow the source material from where you're calling up the OS from and install itself there. -- This isn't like a virtual machine, so wherever your source files are probably will be compromised. --

Though, I don't know how many people made Lubuntu designed malware, i'm sure there is some but I Doubt you'll be drowning in it. I'd install it as Dual boot on the basis that it'll be the easiest way.

 

[Chris S]

Forget this thread - my laptop is now permanently trying to boot from the USB stick!
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/lenovo-g50-bios-settings-wont-save.227502/

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I'm skeptical, I reckon any Malware that was serious enough of a threat would do what it normally does and install itself into your Lubuntu OS irregardless of it being located on a external source, meaning you'll be carrying Malware on that USB stick.

It'll just follow the source material from where you're calling up the OS from and install itself there. -- This isn't like a virtual machine, so wherever your source files are probably will be compromised. --

Though, I don't know how many people made Lubuntu designed malware, i'm sure there is some but I Doubt you'll be drowning in it. I'd install it as Dual boot on the basis that it'll be the easiest way.

Malware for any linux system is very rare and unusual, I've been runing linux operating systems, ubuntu, lubuntu, fedora and one or two others, for nine or ten years and haven't come across any yet.

 

[Prometheus]

Interesting because I have been thinking along similar lines
to fend of the bad guys on the Web.

So how do you make a bulletproof Linux system, so you can boldly Go.
Say run from DVD or USB which automatically makes I ram drive C:/
then transferring system files and running from it may be the way forward.

Now I know we have some big gun’s on CC champion sudo wrestlers.
So for them now is the time to come forward and speak.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Interesting because I have been thinking along similar lines
to fend of the bad guys on the Web.

So how do you make a bulletproof Linux system, so you can boldly Go.
Say run from DVD or USB which automatically makes I ram drive C:/
then transferring system files and running from it may be the way forward.

Now I know we have some big gun’s on CC champion sudo wrestlers.
So for them now is the time to come forward and speak.

There are no bad boys in linux to fend of, all I've done is download the ISO from the website, burn it to disc and install it, job done.

 

[Prometheus]

Did that years 15 years ago, just ended up with a super block on a hard drive
cant unlock it. Even Seagate hasn’t the power to unlock

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Did that years 15 years ago, just ended up with a super block on a hard drive
cant unlock it. Even Seagate hasn’t the power to unlock

I think you're taking the water, that was always the way for a Linux installation, these days newer computers use UEFI which means the partitioning is slightly different.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Linux/Unix is a very permission based system, which makes it difficult for malware to get anywhere

 

[Prometheus]

Had my android phone running 4.2/4 hacked twice.

Linux core Android desktop, which was at fault

Linux or Google

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Had my android phone running 4.2/4 hacked twice.

Linux core Android desktop, which was at fault

Linux or Google

I've had an android tablet hacked but never a desktop running Linux.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Alpine Linux is a fast and light one if you just want to boot to a browser. The image is around 5mb and can run entirely in memory

 

[XC26]

I was going to install Lubuntu on my Windows 10 machine as a dual-boot. However Lubuntu will install and boot from a USB stick (and be internet-ready) in less than 30 seconds.
Am I correct in thinking that any malware I might access will be lost as soon as I shutdown my computer? The hard disk still only has the Windows partition on it.
If so this seems like an excellent way to maintain internet security.

Why not run Linux in a virtual machine? Install something like VirtualBox (open source) on your Windows 10 system and run any number of guest vms, including different flavours of Linux and even other Windowses. If a guest OS gets hacked, either nuke it or revert to an earlier (unhacked) snapshot. Even better, just blast Windows 10 and install and run Linux native on your machine. That way you’ll be faster and more efficient as well as more secure.

 

[XC26]

I'm skeptical, I reckon any Malware that was serious enough of a threat would do what it normally does and install itself into your Lubuntu OS irregardless of it being located on a external source, meaning you'll be carrying Malware on that USB stick.
.

It won’t if the external source is a DVD-R, as in a live

Interesting because I have been thinking along similar lines
to fend of the bad guys on the Web.

So how do you make a bulletproof Linux system, so you can boldly Go.
Say run from DVD or USB which automatically makes I ram drive C:/
then transferring system files and running from it may be the way forward.

One way is to run from a Live version of Linux - they are designed to load into RAM and run from there so all changes will be lost on shutdown and the Live boot system will remail intact. Safest option is a LiveCD/DVD as there can be no writing to the original installation. I believe some Live Linuxes do permit writing to USBs or hard drives to allow persistent settings, it’s probably a configurable option. Of course, USB stick, CD and DVD installations will be slow to boot, though an external USB hard drive would be faster.

Personally, I’d go for virtualisation using VirtualBox, which Open Source and free. You can then install many different OSs and manage them as you see fit. If you suspect one of your guest vms has been hacked or you’ve buggerised yourself, you can revert to an older version or delete it and start again with a new installation. Most virtualisation software can install an OS from an ISO image.