So what's to stop you from editing that file right now so that if and when you need it, it's ready?

I sit corrected. The article I used as a reference only told how to activate it on a working system, not how to make it active by default, and I misread. If you want it active at boot, you need to add the line kernel.sysrq = 1 to /etc/sysctl.conf.

Microsoft Windows nearly single-handedly created the antivirus industry by neglecting security (and still does to this day).

Microsoft, yes Windows no. I can remember using McAffee anti-virus on MS-DOS long before I started using Windows.

If you expect to need it, create the file /proc/sys/kernel/sysrq with the contents set to 1. This makes the key combo active by default, and survives rebooting. Of course, you need to test it while the system's in good shape because different mobos respond to different combinations. (I had one, once that needed Left-Ctrl, Right-Alt and SysRQ to work, and only that combo worked.)

One thing for sure: that completely lets out Barry O'Bama.

Today, as a matter of fact.

This morning I received the Administration's response to a petition to update the ECPA, agreeing that the law is seriously in need of updating and that the Administration is, "...encouraged by the strong bipartisan support for updating this legislation in both chambers of Congress..." and that they're looking forward to having the law address today's needs correctly.

It may be possible to install software without root access, but it won't be able to do any damage to your system files, or have access to lots of other stuff that malware likes to modify.

You just pay again when you buy your next computer.

But why should you have to buy a new computer just to run the latest version of your OS? Why should the hardware requirements increase that fast? Granted, I don't buy pre-made computers because I have a friend who's a much better hardware tech than I'd ever be even if I were interested in those things (I'm a software geek; he's hardware.) but I've gone through several upgrades of my distro (Fedora) without needing to buy any new hardware, and don't expect to need a better computer for years. Why do people accept so easily that upgrading Windows includes upgrading their hardware?

Linux doesn't offer a compelling reason to change, it didn't 20 years ago, it didn't 10 years ago, and it doesn't today. Not to more than about 1.5% of desktop users anyway.

There's one that I've found gets people's attention: Linux is free, as in beer. Every time there's a new, expensive version of Windows released, I get more people asking about Linux. Not many change, but at least they consider it.

Then you have the issue of "do my programs run on it". If your answer is, "no, but similar programs do", then you've lost, you might as well give up.

Or, you make sure that Wine is installed and for the most part, you can say, "Yes, they will."

I've seen that complaint many, many times before, and it was always used as an excuse not to use Linux, with the implication that the lack of OSS drivers was caused by the devs not providing them rather than putting the blame on the OEMs as is right and proper. If the OP wasn't doing that, it's the first time I've ever seen it.

Key- and screen-loggers? Pretty standard stuff I believe. All that's required is the wrong virus or trojan sneaking on to your machine somehow.

I presume, then, that you're not that familiar with Linux or how people use it. Aside from the fact that almost all of the virus/trojan programs out there won't run directly on a Linux machine, you still need root (Or, in Windows-speak Administrator.) rights to install new software. Not only that, most Linux users get their software from their distro's repositories and nowhere else. I won't say that it's impossible to infect a Linux box if you try hard enough, but I will say that it's exceptionally hard to do without the user assisting you. I know; I've had malicious websites try to slip in a drive-by download and all that happens is I get a dialog box asking me if I want to download the file and if so, where to put it. And, since most main-stream distros use SELinux, it's next to impossible for a program like that to do any damage to the system files.

The problem is my employer requires an account with that bank.

If so, just use it as a transfer account. Let your employer use it for direct deposit of your paychecks, then transfer the funds to a different account at whatever bank you prefer, leaving only enough money behind to keep the account open. There's no reason your employer needs to know, and nothing that they can honestly object to if they do find out.

All it takes is someone filming your keyboard and screen while you log in and your security is completely bypassed.

And how are they supposed to do that? Magic? I only access secure sites from my PC desktop, at home. It doesn't have a web camera attached and doesn't run Windows.

And who's fault is that? It's not the Linux devs because they've wanted to write OSS drivers for those cards ever since they came out, but alas, the OEMs won't release the specs. I'd suggest that you check the facts before you post such drivel, but I know that people like you are only interested in spreading anonymous FUD.