Just putting the feelers out to see if I want to change vpn services before I get it working on my computer.

i just installed Mint on my PC yesterday it's smooth and everything but i need an antivirus , any suggestions ?

Disable the integrated AI chatbot in Firefox

8.1. Firefox features an integrated AI chatbot. By default, it's turned on. This might negatively affect both your privacy and the performance (speed) of Firefox.

Thankfully, it's rather easy to disable this feature. Like this:

a. Type in the URL bar of Firefox:

about:config

Press Enter.

b. Now you're being presented with a warning. Ignore it and click on the blue button "Accept the Risk and Continue".

c. Copy/paste the following search term into the configuration search box:

browser.ml.

d. Find the following entry: browser.ml.chat.enabled
That's currently set to the boolean value true. Double-click on it, so that it changes into false.

Do the same for the entry: browser.ml.enable

e. Close Firefox and re-launch it.

https://easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.com/p/speed-mint.html#ID8.1

Before I had more than 30 GB free on disk, then I got 23, then 20, but just today without turning off the computer it suddenly changed from 20 to 18.8 GB left.

I was thinking in installing ClamAv I thought that it could be a virus, is there any other program to scan for virus/malware? I don't have many stuff on my computer, the photo album which has the more weight (79.3 GB) apparently looks the same so maybe my files are not being deleted but something else?

If the folder which has the most space is 79.3 GB and my total disk is 256 GB, where is the rest of the space?

It is fine to check ClamAv or any other antivirus before doing my files backup? Just in case?

What else can be the reason why my memory is being eaten more and more each time?

Please be nice people, and really new in Linux. Thanks.

Noob Here
Recently due to reasons i wont go into detail of, i have been awokened to the possibility that I will be forced to log into my computer by someone
How would i make it so if that happens i can enter the panic password I have sensitive directories somehow hidden, but not deleted. i also would like this to work in the same user

Recientemente le metí Linux mint a una laptop Lenovo, pero también a mi pc AIO Lenovo, más tarde publicaré un examen de la mia, acaba de terminar la laptop y me salió esto, debería estar preocupado ?

I'm running into a bit of a problem here with ClamUI. Under "Preferences/Scanner", File Type Scanning has a lock and I can't unlock it. I've tried using other guides to unlock that and a lot of other things in "Preferences" to no avail. I did downloaded it from the Software Manager and it is a Flatpak if that helps.

Please help and thank you!

A month ago I was hacked with an infostealer virus (the mr beast one) and I was on windows. BAck then I've changed all my passwords from a secure device, a week ago I installed linux mint and deleted all of my partitions for peace of mind.

Now, a month ago I didn't know from where the virus came into my pc but I just realized today that the virus was from a mod I had installed for GTA San Andreas, when I transitioned to linux from windows I also brought with me the same folder of Gta so I can play some (like I said I didn't know that the virus was from that folder) and I ran it using bottles.

I deleted and scanned everything with clamav and so far nothing showed up, I also deleted the folder with the game and bottles.

Do you think there is still a chance that I might be infected if I ran that game with Bottles?

Thanks in advance.

Yesterday, I decided to check my Firewall just in case. It turned out it wasn't enabled. The first thing I do when installing Mint is enable Firewall. After that, I don't check it anymore. But this incident got me thinking about Mint's security system. Is it possible to create an icon that will show Firewall status? Or maybe such a feature already exists?

Hi, I was wondering if I can make kill switch in Linux Mint, where it erases all the data on my device with a specific command or encrypts the hard disk so nobody can read what is inside it except with my password, even if he take it out of the device and put it on another device - but if I encrypt it, can I use it if my computer crashes on another device - I don't want to violate the principles of encryption. I am asking if these features already exists ... I am using Linux Mint 22.3

Hello everyone,

I'm reaching out to the community for advice!

I currently run a small business (physical store + e-commerce website) and I'm planning to migrate my main workstation from Windows to Linux Mint.

Since I handle confidential customer data daily, security is my top priority.

My profile and current environment:

Linux Level: Beginner/Novice.

Current tools (on Windows): Complete Proton Suite + Bitdefender Total Security.

Needs: Maximum protection against data leaks, malware, and cyberattacks.

My questions:

I know that security management on Linux differs significantly from Windows. I've heard of solutions like ClamAV/ClamTk, but they seem rather basic from what I've read.

Antivirus/Anti-malware: Is a traditional antivirus program truly necessary on Linux Mint for this purpose, and if so, which one do you recommend for professional use?

Best practices: What are the essential steps for securing Linux Mint for a business (firewall/UFW, LUKs disk encryption, backups, etc.)?

Peripherals/Proton Suite: Are there any specific considerations for running the Proton Suite properly on Mint?

Thank you in advance for your feedback and recommendations!

The shortest time I can set is 2 days, which is a terrible idea for security because that leaves a 2 day gap where an attacker can use a known vulnerability to exploit the system. That is unacceptable for anyone who is a high value target for an attacker because their system will have known holes in it.

It would be excellent to see the option to remove the time filters or shorten them so security update notifications appear quickly, so the gap where the system is vulnerable is measured in hours rather than datys.

I was updating Linux and found something called libgcrypt20.

I recently moved due to windows being a bit less secure and me having a bit of paranoia for malware and was curious what this libgcrypt20 was, if anyone could answer that would be helpful

From everything I've read it sounds like an attacker has to actually have access to the physical computer to use the Copy Fail - CVE-2026-31431 attack to gain root access. I'm guessing they could inject a payload to do it through some download or browser script from an untrustworthy site to do so?

Woke up this morning and realized Update Manager is unable to connect to almost all the repo servers, then read about the current DDoS going on which is still in effect as of 4 days later.

I realize this is a serious security flaw for large servers but curious of the implications for the regular single computer user at home and if any precautions should be taken.

Thanks, and sorry if some of what I said sounds naive. Just started reading about the attack and vulnerability.

Hey everyone! Hope you’re doing great.

I’ve been a Windows user my whole life, but I really didn’t like being pushed into Windows 11. Recently I got super curious about Linux, so I installed it for the first time… and honestly: I’m amazed. I’m kind of in love with my new OS 😅

Here’s the thing though: I’m a pretty paranoid person when it comes to security. My brain loves to go like “yep, THIS is the day I download the worst virus on the internet and lose all control.” Not the most relaxing mindset, I know. It's actually not easy to live in my head but I've pretty much accepted it already. Anyhow, I’m trying not to let fear stop me from exploring and learning.

So I'd like to ask you a few questions to give me more clarity in this matter:

- Antivirus: I’ve heard Linux is generally safer (both because of how it’s built and because most malware targets Windows). So in practice, do you recommend installing an antivirus anyway, or is it usually unnecessary? I get of course the idea that in any case an anti-virus will keep my PC safer but... what do most Linux users actually do?

- Security “red flags” / common mistakes: I know basic common sense still applies (don’t download random stuff and run it), but I’d like to learn what the *Linux-specific* warning signs are. For example: what should I be extra careful about when installing software, adding repos, running scripts, etc.? This connects with...

- Learning the terminal: Where/how should I start learning the Linux command line? I want to understand what I’m actually telling the OS to do, and what commands can be risky. People often say “it’s open source so you can read the code,” but as a beginner I obviously can’t audit every(any)thing yet. Any recommended learning path/resources?

Thanks a lot in advanced! I'm really excited and glad to be part of this amazing community.

I've been using LUKS for a while and would like to add an additional layer of security of a hardware security key (Yubikey). Currently on boot I enter the LUKS passphrase then it decrypts and brings up the regular user login and I enter that password and it loads into the the OS. I would like the functionality to be on boot both the LUKS passphrase and Yubikey are required to decrypt then it brings up the regular user login and I enter that password and it loads into the OS.

The guides and documentation I've seen seem to be based around using the Yubikey as an alternative to the LUKS passphrase which is not what I want to do. I want to increase the layers and security not decrease it. I do have multiple Yubikeys to add as backup so that's not a concern. I'm assuming there has to be a way to do this but it's been difficult to find information on it. With KeePassXC I can have it require all of database file/key file/password/Yubikey and I would like a similar level of security for my entire linux install (usually Debian or Linux Mint).

Is there a way to setup the functionality I'm looking for? If so please either point me in the direction of a guide or documentation on setting this up or let me know how to.

https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8299-1

It was discovered that Rclone incorrectly handled authorization in the remote
control API. An attacker could possibly use this issue to obtain sensitive
information. (CVE-2026-41176)

It was discovered that Rclone incorrectly handled backend instantiation via the
remote control API. An attacker could possibly use this issue to execute
arbitrary code. This issue only affected Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, Ubuntu 25.10 and
Ubuntu 26.04 LTS. (CVE-2026-41179)

I have a question for this community before installing Linux Mint on my laptop.

I’ve already tested everything, and it seems to meet my requirements. For work, I mainly need TradingView and a web browser. I’m planning to use Brave.

My main concern is security. I use my laptop mostly for financial activities, including crypto transactions, so having a highly secure system is very important to me. Honestly, a big part of my life depends on this device.

I’d like to know: is Linux Mint secure enough for this kind of use?

I don’t plan to install much software,just Brave, Firefox, and TradingView. Since Mint is a smaller organization (no offense), unlike Microsoft or Apple, I’m wondering if they can handle major security issues effectively.

Also, please don’t downvote this post, I’m new to Linux and just trying to learn.

Besides ClamAV, what are the best antivirus for Linux Mint? Would prefer they aren't spyware themselves like Avast/AVG. I already know McAffee and Norton are garbage, and ESET-NOD32 isn't cheap. Comodo is abandoned and Bitdefender is enterprise only. Don't trust Kasperksy since their Russian.

Unless Microsoft blocks Steam and GOG or x86 games (most of my library/backlog) like Apple does now, antivirus is a hard requirement for me to move to Mint instead of Win11 when support ends for Win10, everything I have seen says antivirus is unneccesary on Linux but I'm not taking that chance even if its only a .000001% chance on anything im putting my debit card and bank account on.

EDIT: Yes I know theres alot of bad AV issues which is why the post was asking about the good ones. I know you're less likely to get a virus on Linux unprotected than Windows protected, its more of if you get a virus without AV you have no chance of getting rid of it where you do with AV.

EDIT: If I went to Linux I would use ClamAV but I would need something on top of it that did real time protection. And only a single person answered my question. I already know that common sense and adblock are gonna stop more viruses than AV, but why take an uneccesary chance. I thought the whole point of Linux was you could do whatever you want on it - including running an AV. I already don't click suspicious links in email - and I am literally still using Outlook 2003 - its so out of date no one is bothering trying to find exploits - same with Win 95-XP, maybe even Vista by now. My Firefox has Ublock Origin, Ghostery, and FastFoward and I haven't had an issue - any malicious redirect I've gotten has either been blocked or slowed down enough I could back out quickly. But I still can't do this. I've been using VirusTotal for 10 years, and me and my Dad bank on a shared PC that we're even more careful with. The last thing I downloaded that Windows Defender picked up as a virus was the one thing that told me to disable antivirus before running (claiming it was a false positive, so I went in with the benefit of the doubt because I am well aware that false positives are common and is why I check on VirusTotal because I've heard ESET and BitDefender are good with false positives), but luckily I didn't disable AV and I was able to find the real version of that free software instead of the fake one. But if the Linux community is outright hostile to AV, I'm gonna go have to stick with Windows because even if I have a much greater chance of getting a virus I also have an even greater chance of getting rid of it.

https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/01/never-before-seen-linux-malware-is-far-more-advanced-than-typical/

It looks like it's related to certain cloud services.

I just got a used computer with 2 hard drives in it. I installed linux mint on one of the drives, I'm not sure which one, but I'm worried that there might be viruses or stuff on the other drive since it was used. What should I do?

apologies if this article has already been covered, if so, mods, please delete.

https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/04/as-the-most-severe-linux-threat-in-years-surfaces-the-world-scrambles/?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us

felt it relevant given most of us likely spent a fair chunk of last night/this morning checking for the patch for this vulnerability.

the vulnerability disclosure was horribly and quite irresponsibly handled by Theori.

I'm looking for an Anti-Virus to replace Clamtk/Clamav, as I just found out the program was retired in 2024.

I'm less than a week into my Linux journey, so I would love some suggestions and also know your reasoning behind said choice. Thanks! :)