Also what have you done to mitigate the existing attack?
Wiped the drives. New Os (which will probably be wiped again for Linux). Changed a lot of passwords. Did some meditation to clear my mind. Drank a lot of coffee.
I recommend you buy a good anti virus like Norton or Kaspersky. IMO linux is an overkill if you haven't used it before. It's a bit more secure but you sacrifice some of the looks of windows and its compatibility with different programs and games. I also find windows much easier to use, more user-friendly. Ultimately it comes down to your cyber hygiene, not the OS that you're using. If you download infected files from the web, click on phishing links and carry data from other computers on USB drives, you will get data breaches sooner or later, regardless of what OS you decide to use.
I assume you know all these things, but haven't turned them into habits yet. As cruel as it may sound, being hacked is a great wake up call. My friend got all his data encrypted by malware and that was his time to start being more careful. Most people don't use any security until they get shit stolen.
I would not follow the advice that linux is overkill. Follow the advice you were given, move to a known linux distribution and adapt to it. It won't be hard for you, it's not hard for anyone who knows how to use a computer and has been using one for a long time. The only people I would not recommend linux to, are those who need help with very basic tasks/who aren't able to use a computer using Mac OS or Windows without assistance. There are multiple hardened distributions that are still very easy to use. There are also some that are made to give the same look and feel as Windows or Mac OS, so you get a similar user experience with the added security benefits. Finding what you like most just comes down to research, trial and error.
I recommend you buy a good anti virus like Norton or Kaspersky. IMO linux is an overkill if you haven't used it before. It's a bit more secure but you sacrifice some of the looks of windows and its compatibility with different programs and games. I also find windows much easier to use, more user-friendly. Ultimately it comes down to your cyber hygiene, not the OS that you're using. If you download infected files from the web, click on phishing links and carry data from other computers on USB drives, you will get data breaches sooner or later, regardless of what OS you decide to use.
Yes. I currently have Norton on windows. Though a little too late for using it.
I'm actually liking Linux, I like how minimalist it looks and as for app compatibilities, I think running windows on VM should do the trick, my PC should be able to handle it. I've got lots of learning to do though, recently, I've been spending my time talking privately to some forum members about it, they're quite helpful.
I assume you know all these things, but haven't turned them into habits yet. As cruel as it may sound, being hacked is a great wake up call. My friend got all his data encrypted by malware and that was his time to start being more careful. Most people don't use any security until they get shit stolen.
It definitely is, really a lesson learned.
It's quite exhausting being put into this situation and I would love to have my peace of mind back again soon.
Again it is nice to read that forum members are helping you. This really should be a public topic. I have made a request for cybersecurity board, which I really hope is added so that we can all become stronger together.
It does not ultimately come down to Cyber Hygiene either. Yes, this is an important part, to not be irresponsible and to not open anything you don't completely trust. However, to follow this rule and this rule only is a very outdated strategy. Hardening your firewall is also one of the important things to focus on...and just blocking all incoming connections will do the trick either. Look up "reverse shells". These pesky windows-based infections use outgoing connections to compromise you. All you need to do is visit one malicious website and it is possible that you could wind up with one on Windows. Not to mention if you miss one single update, it becomes more and more possible very quickly to face ramifications the longer the latest update is applied.