Linux AV

[Canio22]

So I am a new user to Linux (Ubuntu), barely a damn clue on how to do anything, I can manage updating via command but other than that its copy paste and don't like doing that unless I know what its doing.

Been looking for an AV and ClamAV was recommended. However what the hell am I supposed to do. I installed the .deb file now what. there is ZERO information on their site for actually running the damn thing and I am just getting frustrated. 

 

Any help would be useful.

And I refuse to pay for another AV when I have Avast! for 3 more years but for some reason they only support business linux not the general user.

Thanks.

[igormp]

There's no real reason to use a real time AV on linux, not many viruses out there target desktop-linux users.

 

Just be sure to not execute random scripts from the internet without properly checking what they do beforehand. Just double clicking .deb files is also not a great idea for a beginner, use your distro's package manager whenever you can.

 

You can use clamav to occasionally scan any new file that you download and that'd be it.

[NinJake]

Edit: ninja'd by @igormp

 

Take a look here:

 

 

Top comment talks about ClamAV. Long story short, you don't really need a traditional antivirus like you'd find in Windows. However you can use clamAV to scan files independently if you want.

[8tg]

I cannot think of any particular reason to use an antivirus on Linux. I mean I wouldn’t use av in general because it pretty much just keeps you from pressing “run” on things you clearly shouldn’t.

And the same applies on Linux, don’t install what you don’t trust. 

[LAwLz]

27 minutes ago, 8tg said:

I cannot think of any particular reason to use an antivirus on Linux. I mean I wouldn’t use av in general because it pretty much just keeps you from pressing “run” on things you clearly shouldn’t.

And the same applies on Linux, don’t install what you don’t trust. 

You absolutely should use an anti-virus on Windows. 

It does way more than just prevent you from pressing run on a file. There have been plenty of malware that has spread without users having to interact. Even if you have never been caught yet doesn't mean it couldn't happen. You don't skip the seat belt just be suet you haven't been in a car crash. 

[8tg]

1 minute ago, LAwLz said:

You absolutely should use an anti-virus on Windows. 

It does way more than just prevent you from pressing run on a file.

I never have in ~20 years and have had zero problems. 
that’s a whole other debate

[LAwLz]

3 hours ago, 8tg said:

I never have in ~20 years and have had zero problems. 
that’s a whole other debate

That you know of.

But like I said, you don't skip the seat belts just because you haven't been in a crash.

[Canio22]

Thanks peeps, appreciate the advice and will continue to be vigilant

[wasab]

Hm... only linux servers ever get any malware attacks and these are usually secured by doing military grade firewall and security policy like SELinux and IAM. If malware gets inside a running server, the correct solution is not to run a malware scan on it to remove the infected file/malware, instead you would nuke that server out of existence and spin up another clean server virtual machine and restore the data there.

 

Linux server os will never be doing things like browsing the web, open up email attachments, or down pirated games/application btw so this already eliminated like 99% of malware out there already.