Subj : Anti-Viruses for Linux
To   : All
From : warmfuzzy
Date : Mon Oct 01 2018 05:26:05

There was once a day when the Linux operating system seemed immune from
viruses.  This is no longer the case.

Some virus scanners that run on Linux include:

Bit Defender
Chkrootkit
ClamAV
Comodo
Eset NOD32
F-Prot
Rootkit Hunter
Sophos

These are my observations: Eset NOD32 is by far the best.  A half-year
subsciption to the use of the antivirus software is about $5 USD -- compare
that with Bit Defender's $150 USD per year. Comodo has a good free product as
well but I've experienced a lack of software stability where it would get
stuck at a certain spot while scanning and never finish the process.  As for
Sophos you basically have to agree to having a security clearance if you want
to use their product and their product is invasive, deleting stuff it thinks
should not be there even if that content is in no way malware.  For example I
had a HOPE (Hackers On Planet Earth) audio DVD extracted into its own folder
and Sophos deleted the whole thing.  I'm not looking to buy a nanny to patrol
my computer, I'm looking for something that will stop viruses and other
malware threats.  I was not pleased with Sophos and would not recommend it to
anyone. As for ClamAV is works but it lacks most features and seems weak in
comparison with its competition.  As for F-Prot I wish that I could say more,
however their Linux support is hidden away on their website making me feel
that it is a rather abandoned part of their suite making this not a good idea
for securing what you need secured.  The other alternatives are not
comprehensive enough in being feature rich enough for me to get into detail
about them; they may work for some old trojans and rootkits but don't seem to
be updated regularly -- go with a commerical product if you can.

So what's the best?  I would have to say the Eset NOD32 is by far the best
way to go: due to the price point, the powerful scanning engine, the full
support for Linux, the small memory footprint, its not slowing down the
computer and their obvious dedication to the Linux platform.  You can buy the
home version for around $30 USD from its website for a two year subscription,
or from resellers on eBay for around $5 for a half-year subscription.  This
is without doubt the way to go.

Cheers!
-wf

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