Oh yes, granted. For now. Just a few points though: 1. Most Linux users now are at least to some degree prepared to earn geek points, and read/learn/do things with their systems 2. When Linux becomes even easier to install and use, we will see pure M$ lusers running - say - Ubuntu just like a M$ box - they will be casual, ignorant, fearful of CLI and have no concept of what/where /var/log is 3. I left my box open to the net through ssh, and had not installed a firewall .... one of the things I was going to get around to when I had time to read the manual and actually understand what I was doing ..... hah! Scanners had picked me up and were trying to brute-force the password. Yes, they failed, but it was probably only a matter of time. There are possibly many out there like me. Solutions? OK, the ones I have found are these: 1. Read the security "HOW-TO's" available: <a href="http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/HOWTO-INDEX/admin.html#ADMSECURITY">http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/HOWTO-INDEX/admin.html#ADMSECURITY</a> 2. Books: the O'Reilly book on "Firewalls", the "Anti-hacker toolkit", "Hardening linux" 3. I used synaptic to download some of the tools for checking system integrity, scanning and firewalling - the trick is not the download, but in learning how to set them up to maximum effect 4. I was particularly impressed by an earlier mention of HostsDeny ... sadly I am still trying to get it to work, but the principles are excellent (check this thread earlier for mention) Bottom line - there is a HUGE amount of information "out there" available, waiting for us to peruse and implement, but it may not be readily accessible to many, especially newbies and M$-devotees What I lacked was specific information about the needs, the tools available, and how to use them adequately. Perhaps there should be more emphasis in the Wiki on security? Would that be a good next step? Deepen that area of knowledge and make it readily available? I will cogitate further .... All the best Brian