[Gllug] Anti-virus

[Jason Clifford]

On 22 Oct 2002, Eric Lee wrote:

> Having moved from Windows 98 to Linux only recently, it's dawned on me
> that I don't have any anti-virus set up.  A friend told that I wouldn't
> need one.  But in the Linux mags, I've seen Clam and others mentioned. 
> What do people think?  As someone who receives a lot of email, often
> virus-infected, am I still vulnerable even though I don't use Windows
> anymore?  

To date Linux has proven to be an unattractive platform for the writers of 
viruses.

Part of the reason for this is that Linux (like all *NIX systems) employs 
a system of permissions that prevents a regular user from altering any 
system binaries so a virus would be very limited in what it could achieve.

There have been worms - recently openssl (and through it web servers 
running SSL protected sites) was the target of such an attack - however 
even they are easy to avoid by simply keeping your system up to date with 
security and bug fix updates.

The existing anti virus products for Linux are designed not to protect the 
Linux system but rather to protect such clients of the system as are using 
Microsoft platforms - ie PCs using samba hosted file share services and 
clients using the Linux based mail server.

> And if so, which anti-virus do you recommend?

If you are using Linux as your desktop platform I recommend that you don't 
install anti virus software. Instead ensure that you are not running any 
services on your box that you should not be - ie if your system is a 
simple desktop don't run any network services at all! - and that you keep 
up to date with the errata updates from your distribution vendor.

Jason Clifford
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