I have GNU/Linux running on an (obviously recent enough) Intel CPU. I've heard about the grave security flaws which have surfaced, Spectre and Meltdown, although I haven't read the details yet.
I've read there's been work done to patch kernels and application software - but I don't see any big update available to me via the distribution's package management.
What should I do to protect my system (if anything)?
Notes:
- I use GNU/Linux Mint 18.3 (it's based on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS), but I was thinking the question could be answered more generally.
- I would rather not start building a bunch of software "myself", but if that's necessary I suppose I could do that.
