I've been using Linux for what seems like forever. Over the years, I've noticed that I use the command line less and less, because the GUIs have just gotten so much better. Even still, there are ...
Linux is highly secure, but you should still have a firewall. You should know if your ISP's hardware (gateway) uses a firewall. One of the easiest Linux firewalls is UFW and its GUI sidekick, GUFW.