Security is one of the significant aspects when it comes to the privacy of the system. Nowadays, designs are vulnerable to third-party attacks due to internet access. Many users always look for secure operating systems for personal use.

However, the vast list of secured Linux operating systems may need to be clarified for users who sometimes end up installing the wrong OS. This long guide includes the list of the top 10 most secure Linux OS for personal use.

Most Secure Linux OS for Personal Use (Updated 2023)

Here, we will explain an in-depth information about every Linux OS with its features and limitations.

PureOS

PureOS is the Debian-based Linux distro that merges the open-source software packages. The GNU/Linux distribution PureOS uses the GNOME desktop interface while emphasizing privacy and security. This Linux distro has PureBrowser which is a privacy-conscious version of Firefox. This OS strives for security and privacy protection to offer a safe and private environment.

Features:

• Powered by Mozilla technology, the clean OS includes a web browser that offers the users with privacy and data security.
• When users are online, it provides a multi-layered protection for resident data and data flow.
• The regular software and operating system updates for clean OS include new features, tighter security measures, and bug fixes.

Pros:

• Contains TOR and PureBrowser for higher security.
• The default installation is free and open-source.
• Includes a variety of tools for security.

Cons:

• Updates are slower.
• Does not support mobile installation.

Linux Kodachi

Linux Kodachi is a Debian-based Linux distro that you can use from a USB stick. It is a comparable Linux distro to the TAILS Linux distribution but has more security measures and is more straightforward for beginners to set up. Linux Kodachi allows you to build a secure environment that eliminates the possibility of anyone being able to identify or track you. At the same time, you go about your business when used as advised by the distribution developers.

Features:

• It offers complete anonymity with VPN, TOR, and even DNS encryption.
• If something goes wrong while browsing the web, you can completely wipe your hard drive and RAM in a “Panic Room” folder which is explicitly created for emergencies.
• Kodachi has pre-installed technologies to protect your files online and offline, enabling the symmetric and asymmetric encryption.
• It is exceptionally user-friendly compared to other operating systems and requires no prior knowledge.

Pros:

• Includes several pre-installed applications.
• Provides a robust security system and offers fast network access.
• Incredibly stable and better than other distributions.
• Simple to retain all the software from Ubuntu.

Cons:

• Because Kodachi is built on Xubuntu, many people complain about the limited service.
• It takes more time to navigate through desktop panels.

Alpine Linux

Alpine Linux aims to be compact, straightforward, and secure. Instead of the more popular glibc, GNU Core Utilities, and systemd, Alpine Linux uses musl, BusyBox, and OpenRC. Although it is not explicitly designed for this purpose, Alpine Linux is a popular choice of OS for running the containers. Alpine Linux requires much installation work for Docker to function correctly because the container environment has modest installation requirements.

Features:

• It uses the hardened Linux Kernel but contains the Vanilla Kernel for the desktop user.
• It compiles the userspace binaries as the position-independent which is executable with stack-smashing protection.
• Its compact size and lightweight result from substituting some lightweight components for many basic ones which are found in widely used distributions.
• Coreutils is the leading utility which is derived from the suckless and busybox. But you can install the GNU Coreutils.

Pros:

• Robust and safe to use.
• Provides rolling and stable release models.
• They have a specialized package manager.
• Highly secured and contains a simple UI.

Cons:

• There is a basic installer, but its options are limited.
• No GUI. Alpine Linux does not include a desktop environment as a base distribution.

Whonix

Whonix is ​​a private and secure operating system that reduces the possibility of outside spies or attackers. It is built using an open relay network software for Tor and Debian. These protect the users from network eavesdropping and, at the same time, enable the regular system operation. Whonix is ​​renowned for protecting against malware and DNS attacks, which are almost impossible to perform, keeping a user’s ID address private.

Whonix consists of “Workstation” and “Tor Gateway” which are two virtual machines that are part of the Debian base. Qubes, Linux KVM, and VirtualBox are all compatible virtualization machines, and both virtual machines can install images on a user-supplied host OS. A workstation that filters the connections through Tor and redirects them to the Internet must handle all the network connections.

Features:

• Whonix’s vanguard feature protects the users from data traffic monitoring and third-party surveillance.
• The Whonix operating system prevents the viruses which are installed on users’ systems from logging keystrokes.
• Whonix transmits all of its information through the Tor network, making it more difficult to identify the users’ IP addresses and locations.

Pros:

• It ensures that many people can use this distribution by simply leveraging the VirtualBox technologies.
• Since it does not require special knowledge, it is easy to set up and operate.

Cons:

• The Whonix workstation virtual machine only offers anonymity, and users can quickly forget about it.
• It is resource intensive as it needs a robust system to function correctly.

Discreete Linux

Discreete Linux is Debian-based and is created to provide security against Trojan horse-based monitoring by isolating the work from a secure data location. Discreete is a reliable and secure Linux distribution that protects your data as it was once known as UPR (Ubuntu Privacy Remix). Although you can’t install it on a hard drive, you can use it via CD, DVD, or USB drive.

Discreete Linux is one of the most secure Linux distributions and is built for standard computing tasks such as gaming and word processing. Discreete Linux disables the Internet connection to secure the data and cryptographic keys from untrusted networks.

Features:

• It provides a local and isolated work environment that the third parties can’t access.
• It prevents the network attack due to the offline working environment.
• Simple to use, user-friendly, and transparent.
• Spire can’t access or transport the data because it does not use the device’s hard disk.

Pros:

• Ideal for routine work.
• Users can access it using a USB drive, DVD, or CD.

Cons:

• Disables when the user is working on the network.
• Users face issues while updating.

Tails

The Amnesic Incognito Live System (Tails) is a secure and portable operating system that helps the users to bypass the Internet censorship while using the Tor network to protect their online anonymity. The TAIL operating system can be used as a backup for your primary operating system because it is compatible with various hardware and operating systems. As a result, it can be a great addition to the most popular version of the Windows operating system. When you shut down the machine, TAILS will erase all evidence of your actions.

Features:

• It is a compact operating system that you can download and use from the temporary storage device.
• Tails offer several secure tools for working on and communicating with private documents.
• Highly secured for the whistleblowers.
• Includes a TOR browser in the package.

Pros:

• User-friendly Linux distribution.
• Takes a little time to start browsing anonymously.
• Adaptable and protects privacy.
• Provides a safe place to store the passwords.

Cons:

• It must be used as a live boot operating system.
• Users occasionally lose a flash drive, which can have serious consequences.
• Because it is compressed for Tails, TOR presents some difficulties.

Kali Linux

Kali Linux, a Debian OS, is developed to provide an incredible penetration environment. This OS is best for ethical hacking, security professionals, digital forensics, and network security assessment. Like what the Tails distribution described earlier in the list, Kali Linux can be used from a USB flash drive or DVD, making it a user-friendly distribution. Kali Linux works with both 32-bit and 64-bit platforms. In addition, Kali Linux only requires 512 MB of RAM and 10 GB disk space to run properly. According to numerous developer surveys, Kali Linux is one of the top-rated and most secure Linux distributions.

Features:

• Kali Linux installation can be easily automated and customized by the users.
• It includes a meta package, or toolkit collection, that allows easy customization and configuration of the virtual environment.
• It has an entire Disk Encryption that allows the users to encrypt the USB keys used for penetration testing.

Pros:

• It provides a readily available open-source distribution.
• Inxluswa supports multiple languages and allows the users to quickly find the different binaries.

Cons:

• Sometimes, Kali Linux corrupts the system.
• It may cause the system to slightly slow down.

BlackArch

BlackArch is one of the best Linux distros for privacy based on Arch Linux OS. It contains more than 1600 tools which are suitable for security testing. The 32-bit and 64-bit devices are compatible with Arch Linux and ARM-based development boards such as the BeagleBone and Raspberry Pi. You can install the BlackArch on the newest version of Arch Linux, as the toolset for the former is accessible in the unofficial repository for Arch Linux.

Features:

• A window manager is a tool that manages multiple windows and allows the users to complete the various tasks faster.
• It includes various environments such as dwm, Fluxbox, Openbox, Spectrum, Awesome, and i3.
• It allows the users to set the tools outside of its tool collection.
• The operating system includes several tools for various tasks including thwarting forensics, steganography, encryption, etc.

Pros:

• It could be a good option and provides a sizable repository.
• It is based on Arch Linux.
• It is highly secured and suitable for testers.

Cons:

• Not recommended for newcomers.
• Using BlackArch can occasionally cause your system to slow down.

Parrot OS

The Parrot Security operating system is created by FrozenBox and is based on the Debian operating system. This Linux distribution was developed in 2013 for ethical hacking, stealth, and penetration testing.

This Linux distribution was created with the express purpose of testing the enabled simulated attacks on a computer system, which helps identify the system weaknesses. As mentioned, Parrot Security OS is a free and open-source GNU distribution which is intended for security analysts, programmers, penetration testers, privacy enthusiasts, and forensic investigators.

Features:

• It combines a variety of tools that are supported in Kali Linux
• It is a highly customizable desktop as it contains MATE and KDE as the desktop environments.
• It is relatively lightweight than the other security-related Linux distros.
• Various privacy-protection tools are available and come with hundreds of tools.

Pros:

• It provides a wide selection of tools.
• Using widgets is quite simple.
• It does not require a GPU to function correctly.
• It has a neat user interface, and navigation is simple.

Cons:

• It’s complex.
• It has problems with shortcuts.

IprediaOS

IprediaOS is a Fedora-based Linux distribution with a focus on privacy. It is a good choice if you want a platform for anonymous file sharing, emailing, and browsing. IprediaOS offers stability, computing power, and fantastic speed, in addition to privacy and anonymity. IprediaOS is much faster than the other Linux distributions, and you can use it on older computers without any problems.

The basic design of the Ipredia operating system prioritizes security and supplies only the most necessary tools. IprediaOS sends all traffic over the I2P anonymization network to encrypt and anonymize it transparently.

Features:

• USB boot is available in IprediaOS.
• It focuses on security and provides high online anonymity.
• It is compatible with TrueCrypt and supports TOR.
• It provides the lock screen controls and cold boot protection.

Pros:

• You can use it on an older system.
• It offers services for an anonymous email client.

Cons:

• Users sometimes have problems with performance.
• It has usability-related issues.

Conclusion

In this long guide, we explained the list of the most secure Linux OS for personal use that may interest you. They offer speed, security, stability, and, most importantly, a great user experience. Most of them should be simple to set up and operate and shouldn’t cause trouble.