Linux is absolutly save?

Question

Today a retailer was in my Office and presented a new Module for my Frontoffice. The System ist built on Linux instead of Windows. He says "The Advantage ist that there are no harmfull Viruses for Linux. The System is ABSOLUTLY SAVE against Attacks from the Internet.

I think an absolute save System is not possible. And Hackers can also create Linux-Viruses - or not?

Answer 1

Viruses can be written for Linux, just like any other operating system. What the retailer probably meant is that there are not many viruses for Linux, because not that many people use it. Apple used this fact as part of a marketing scheme. They said that Mac's have no viruses, which was technically true at the time because they had a small user base, and it was not worth it for hackers to make viruses for Macs.

Answer 2

What said Cal Baksh is true. But you can also notice that as Linux works with Superuser, a virus would need to get (or crack) the Root password. And as long as it doesn't get it, system files cannot be corrupted, and the Root home is kept safe.