This presentation will introduce the various aspects of IT security that Linux Desktop users may be grappling with on an ongoing basis. The target audience of the talk will be beginners (newbies) - who might have had bad experiences using Windows OS all these years, and don't know what to expect when tiptoeing into the new world of Linux.  General Linux users who don't always pay much attention to aspects of security may also find interest in sharing some of the commonsense practices that are essential to using our computers safely.

Topics to be covered will include: Firewalls, System Updates, WiFi Security, User Passwords, encrypting your data, etc. We will also address a frequently asked question: Do I really need Anti-Virus software installed on my Linux computer?

Wen Lin is currently the Treasurer of LUV (now part of Linux Australia). He has been in the IT profession for about 28 years, primarily in the system admin area - both Windows and Linux. He started to be active in the Free & Open Source Community in 2004, inspired by the first Software Freedom Day in Melbourne.  Nowadays at work Wen is using RHEL. In his own time, his distros of choice are Ubuntu/Lubuntu, followed by Fedora & CentOS. For non-OS software, LibreOffice is one that he has spent a fair bit of time with.  Recently he has also been fascinated with the wonder of Raspberry Pi.  Wen has a particular interest in introducing friends to using Linux and FOSS, quite often breathing new life into old Windows PCs after converting them to Linux.

There will also be the usual casual hands-on workshop, Linux installation, configuration and assistance and advice. Bring your laptop if you need help with a particular issue. This will now occur BEFORE the talks from 12:30 to 14:00. The talks will commence at 14:00 (2pm) so there is time for people to have lunch nearby.