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Does Linux Need Antivirus?

Linux enjoys a reputation for being safe and secure, but should you get a security solution for your Linux?

It has been a long time since the subject of whether Linux needs an antivirus solution or not has been discussed and debated online. Even though the threat of malware is very little in Linux as compared to Windows, does this imply we let anti-malware protection slide for Ubuntu, Fedora, Mint, RedHat, openSUSE, or any other Linux distribution?

Find out what you can do to safeguard your Linux system from viruses, malware, and an array of other threats.

What do developers think about malware?

Even though only a small section of computers and laptops have Linux, a massive chunk of web servers run the Linux kernel. Therefore, when it comes to the enterprise, there is a perpetual fight going on between cybercriminals and systems admins.

In spite of this, it appears that the online threats faced by home users are not too aggressive.

The official site of Ubuntu, a massively popular Linux distro, has a considerable breadth and depth of knowledge, states that there are antivirus programs for Linux OS. However, the users most likely do not need it. Viruses which attack Linux are very uncommon. Some people think that since Linux is not as popular as other operating systems such as Windows and Mac, nobody bothers to write malicious code for it. Other people believe that Linux is, by its very nature, safer, and security vulnerabilities and patches that viruses could exploit are patched very swiftly.

Whatever the reason may be, Linux malware infections are so uncommon that one does not really have to bother about them presently.

Is Linux malware-free?

Even though Linux is virus-free for the most part, it does not imply that the user should start slacking in the security department.

Two years ago, the Linux Mint 17.3 Cinnamon was compromised by a monitoring software which came if users had downloaded it from the download webpage of Mint.

This happened because attackers changed a PHP script in WordPress installation used by the Mint project. This vulnerability was fixed promptly, although till then login credentials, messages, etc. had been breached.

Linux is more secure if you compare it to other operating systems. However, with any web-enabled device, it is necessary to exercise caution.

Are there any antivirus solutions for Linux?

Yes. Several. Even though developers will talk down the risks of infections, and they are correct in several ways, it doesn’t hurt to exercise caution.

If you think that Linux is malware-free and viruses for Linuxes do not exist, then you are totally wrong. Since Linux is gaining more and more popularity, virus attackers are becoming increasingly interested in it.

Get an antivirus which can detect and remove malware effectively. Ensure that the program scans for viruses in real-time.

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