18 votes

Does Linux need antivirus?

4 comments

  1. [2]
    emnii
    Link
    At one point in my career, I was tasked with evaluating how to deploy Symantec Endpoint Protection on Red Hat. I put the brakes on as soon as I learned SEP required a Java runtime engine on Linux....

    At one point in my career, I was tasked with evaluating how to deploy Symantec Endpoint Protection on Red Hat. I put the brakes on as soon as I learned SEP required a Java runtime engine on Linux. That's the definition of the cure being worse than the disease. IIRC SEP didn't have any signatures for viruses affecting Linux either. We'd be installing a JRE and AV client with signatures to detect Windows viruses just to check an "asset has AV installed" box. No thanks.

    12 votes
    1. [2]
      Comment deleted by author
      Link Parent
      1. emnii
        Link Parent
        A lot of InfoSec professionals are 'no' people. No you can't do that, think about the risk! No, you do what everyone else does. No exceptions. And then they complain about being left out of...

        A lot of InfoSec professionals are 'no' people. No you can't do that, think about the risk! No, you do what everyone else does. No exceptions. And then they complain about being left out of discussions and shadow IT.

        1 vote
  2. skullkid2424
    Link
    SELinux is not an anti-virus program, but is the main security software I hear recommended by my linux buddies. But they are also in the Red Hat ecosystem, so...shrugs

    SELinux is not an anti-virus program, but is the main security software I hear recommended by my linux buddies. But they are also in the Red Hat ecosystem, so...shrugs

    3 votes
  3. mrbig
    Link
    The only thing to ever get infested on my Linux installs was Google Chrome, but it did not impact the rest of the system. I do enable GUFW. That’s about it.

    The only thing to ever get infested on my Linux installs was Google Chrome, but it did not impact the rest of the system. I do enable GUFW. That’s about it.

    1 vote