Windows 7

[gaussian]

The problem with the linux evangelists isn't that you're wrong about security, because you're generally not. It's that you're preaching something that is beyond the capabilities of the guy who can't manage to make it past Windows 7 and clearly has limited technical expertise

Ubuntu installs the same as Windows and aside from having to relearn some apps you definitely don't need to crack open a terminal to use it. It was built that way from the get-go and is arguably the friendliest distribution of Linux available. Installing new programs is straightforward. The only learning curve would be WINE but even that is straightforward these days. Saying Ubuntu is difficult to use for a new user is more-or-less equal to saying OS X is difficult for a new user, and aside from some polish the experience is pretty much the same down to Ubuntu supporting double-click debian package installs from the UI.

He never mentioned his technical sophistication nor a lack of it being the reason he does not want to upgrade. I think you're jumping the gun. I'm really not a Linux evangelist (though I daily drive it when I'm not at work) but I don't think you're giving the 15+ year old OS packages enough credit here. Even going back to Ubuntu 8.04.4 I don't ever remember it being that hard to use and the major problem was lack of driver support back then. Ubuntu now has a ton of proprietary drivers shipped with it so the experience is entirely different.

 

[Trader Curt]

It's a pretty important life skill to understand what life looks like from another's position in life. It's not empathy, because you're actually displaying empathy here by thinking "how would I feel in this situation". The problem with empathy is it's centered on "I" instead of thinking "how would the OP feel in this situation given their completely different skill set and interest in life from me".

I don't get it. The OP asked a question, and i'm giving him my best answer. Installing an operating system that repels viruses is about as good of an answer as he's going to get. I don't see what the problem is...

Interestingly I find tech people and specifically computer and EE types to be the absolute worst at doing this (I is one and run a tech company so my sample size is pretty big). And yes, linux is daunting for the vast majority of people out there, your MSFT conspiracy theories aside that's why it's got almost no uptake among non-tech folks. That's not because they're stupid, many of them are brilliant. But not in computers. They're not like you, no matter how easy it is for you to "watch a couple of youtube videos" it's simply not that easy for them. Sorry, that's life.

Sorry, didn't mean to think so logicly. I just thought that it made sense that somone who spends their time trading, and being on a forum, would understand computers better since they are, you know, using one....

Installing linux is not hard at all as you make this sound. It really is as simple as watching a youtube video. This is not rocket science, and neither am I a computer expert like you make this out to be. It would only make sense that someone who could install an anti virus would also be able to install linux and use it. Even I don't know everything there is to know about linux, and any time I want to install something I have to look it up.

I don't believe in anti virus programs, that's why I encourage the OP to install an operating system that repels them!

 

[Sig]

Ubuntu installs the same as Windows and aside from having to relearn some apps you definitely don't need to crack open a terminal to use it. It was built that way from the get-go and is arguably the friendliest distribution of Linux available. Installing new programs is straightforward. The only learning curve would be WINE but even that is straightforward these days. Saying Ubuntu is difficult to use for a new user is more-or-less equal to saying OS X is difficult for a new user, and aside from some polish the experience is pretty much the same down to Ubuntu supporting double-click debian package installs from the UI.

He never mentioned his technical sophistication nor a lack of it being the reason he does not want to upgrade. I think you're jumping the gun. I'm really not a Linux evangelist (though I daily drive it when I'm not at work) but I don't think you're giving the 15+ year old OS packages enough credit here. Even going back to Ubuntu 8.04.4 I don't ever remember it being that hard to use and the major problem was lack of driver support back then. Ubuntu now has a ton of proprietary drivers shipped with it so the experience is entirely different.

Again, it's not hard for us to use. I am an Apple hater but even I would never claim that Linux is even in the same league as OS X for ease of use. You also have to remember that it was damn hard for a lot of current Windows users to learn how to use Windows. Learning Windows 10 vs. a completely new OS is a massive additional investment to them even if it was the same difficulty for them as learning their original OS. Listen, I'm a fan of Linux. I also spend most of every day ensuring my products work for 95% of the U.S. population and believe me, the average level of tech savvy is pretty amazing, as in we routinely teach people that they can have more than one browser window open at once because they hadn't figured that out on their own yet. It's easy to forget that when you spend the majority of your time around the top 5% of the population in tech savviness.

As far as the OP's level of tech savvy, it's probably safe to assume if you're still on an unsupported decade old OS and don't provide a reason (as we see all the tech savvy folks here do) then you're probably not terribly tech savvy. I could well be wrong, but in any event you'd probably want to figure that out in order to proffer advice that was worth anything.

 

[ph1l]

Use Sandboxie https://www.sandboxie.com/ when running web browsers to make it harder for malware to get permanently installed.

 

[d08]

@gaussian and @Sig both make good points. It's true that Linux is nothing like it used to be, using Arch based Manjaro at the moment and very happy with it but there are some minor quirks at first and to fix them requires the use of terminal. Of course this was never intended to be the simplest distro for neophytes either, a basic Ubuntu GNOME setup is much more straightforward.
I also have some people unhappy with Windows around me, some with driver issues, others with low end hardware and at first I strongly suggested Linux but now I realize that I'd be the only "tech support" they have around and I'm not excited to do that job.

 

[birdman]

Passwords should never be typed from your keyboard or stored in the web browser. Get a program like Keepass or whatever that does encryption & allows you to use only your mouse to input or change passwords.

Do you recommend and use two factor authentication? TD Ameritrade allows you the choice of using two-factor authentication (or multi-factor authentication), which adds another way to verify that you are the owner of your account.

 

[comagnum]

Yes - 2 stage auth is much better security although a good hack can defeat a pin sent via SMS text. If the 2-stage uses an app on your devices that generates a pin that would be much harder to defeat.

Few people realize that the FDIC/SPIC does not cover you if your acct is hacked. Some brokers will cover loses from cyber fraud & some don't.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/hacked-this-is-what-the-top-5-brokers-will-do-for-you-2015-10-27

https://www.sec.gov/about/offices/ocie/cybersecurity-examination-sweep-summary.pdf

 

[Bekim]

It seems like just upgrading to windows 10 would be the easiest way. It sounds like switching to Linux is the best way. But not sure that I will have the time to deal with the learning curve. I’m married with a 1 and 5 year old, trade full time and run a business at night. Windows ten may be the less risky route but I have another week to decide.

 

[Overnight]

If you do not want your account to be hacked, do not use a password like "password". Use an 8 digit password with a combination of upper case, lower case, a number and one of the special characters on top of the number keys on a standard 101-key PC keyboard.

I cannot remember the math, but it is over 20 billion combinations, at least. And if the site hosting your password locks out the account after three attempts, yer not getting hacked.

 

[Overnight]

...

I cannot remember the math, but it is over 20 billion combinations, at least. And if the site hosting your password locks out the account after three attempts, yer not getting hacked.

Sorry, finally figured out the math. It is 722 trillion combinations. You ain't getting hacked after 3 attempts and a lockout.