"When I first started using Linux in 1997, there was one inevitability: at some point, you would have to either log in as root or switch to the root account. I did it. A lot. Also: Do you need antivirus on Linux? Anytime I needed to install a piece of software, change a config file in /etc, start or stop a service, or upgrade the OS -- any action that required heightened (admin) privileges -- I used the root account."
"You log into your Linux PC as the root user because you have a ton of admin tasks to do. In the middle of doing whatever it is you need to get done, you're called away from your desk. While you're gone, another user sits down at your computer. Since you've logged in as root, that user has full access to do whatever nefarious thing they want. They might reconfigure something in /etc, install a keylogger, or add some other malicious software package."
Logging in as the root user on Linux grants unrestricted system access and invites severe risks. Using the root account or switching to root with su requires knowing the root password and removes ordinary safeguards. Unattended root sessions allow others physical or local access to reconfigure /etc, install keyloggers or other malware, and perform destructive actions. Root login increases potential for accidental or malicious system changes. Sudo provides a safer alternative by granting elevated privileges only when needed and maintaining accountability. Administrators should prefer sudo, limit root use, and avoid persistent root logins on desktops or shared machines.
Read at ZDNET
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