There is an eternal controversy between Linux users: do we need an antivirus in Linux? In Windows, it’s clear that without an antivirus, that PC will get viruses. When the computer shuts itself down, strange windows with text that you do not understand, or tens of windows that you can not close, if emails are sent automatically, the reason can only be one: the system has a virus. The main reason is that Windows is running. But Linux has very few viruses. For a virus, a Linux system is complicated to infect; and if a system has been infected, the destruction made by that virus is minor due to the very well-tuned permission system. Linux uses an extremely efficient permission system. In Windows, the user (and every installed program) has the right to do almost everything he wants in the system. In Linux, most programs (99.99%) are installed from the software repositories. Well, in these repositories they check and scan packages, so it’s impossible to virus your system if you only install programs from official repositories.
Antivirus is required if you have Windows in dual-boot with Linux and also to protect the Windows systems you are in contact with (you have downloaded an executable file from somewhere, scanned it in Linux and forward it to another user). In other words, use the antivirus in Linux to scan files from Windows, because Windows is easily more infected, being infected if it comes through Linux. Yes, you can run web servers or mail servers to scan files from Windows – to prevent infected Windows machines from uploading viruses on the Linux server and from here to get to other Windows machines to affect them.
Some Antivirus Programs for Linux:
1. Bitdefender
Bitdefender is a popular antivirus among Windows users, but its Linux version is also worth trying. It’s not, technically speaking, free of charge, but it offers a free trial.
1. Archive archive
2. Integration desktop
3. Quarantine threats
4. Can be run on the command line
5. Can be installed on Solaris, Linux, and FreeBSD.
6. Separate installation options for Samba and Unix
7. Intuitive User Graphics Interface (GUI)
2. Sophos
Sophos scored high scores when tested for malware detection and even provides protection for other operating systems, not just Linux, with minimal impact on performance. Sophos is perfect for file servers that interact with other operating systems. It’s great to make sure you do not accidentally distribute malware to your customers.
Heuristic detection of malware
Real-time scanning on demand
Protection against malware for other operating systems, such as Windows, Mac and Android
It can be run through the terminal
Excellent protection against worms, Trojans, and malware
Low impact on system performance
The files needed for the update are small
Option to exclude certain files
3. Comodo
Comodo is compatible with a lot of operating systems and hardware. However, it has limitations when it comes to anti-malware. Comodo stands out on the market with broad compatibility. This means it works with almost any operating system.
Filtering emails
Real-time scanning on demand
Real-time protection
Regular updates of virus definitions
Server-side compatibility