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Old 08-18-2003, 11:04 PM   #1
Nightmatrix
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Linux Antivirus


Hey I have a question

Does Linux have a need for antivirus software is it really necessary if your running just a personal computer if so could someone recommend Antivirus tools preferably open source

Thanks in advance
 
Old 08-18-2003, 11:10 PM   #2
MasterC
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Yes, yes you should run an antivirus. For more security issues, check out the Security FAQ in the Linux - Security Forum. Very good info there!

Here's quite a list to choose from:
http://freshmeat.net/search?q=antivirus

Narrowed down to OpenSource:
http://freshmeat.net/search?q=antivi...rby=&filter=14



Cool
 
Old 08-18-2003, 11:50 PM   #3
oni0n56
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MasterC... please clarify but i thought there were no such things as viruses for linux [or at least good ones] because all the stuff to wreck your system wish is restricted to root password...? i read that all over the place.. am i wrong and in need of antivirus for linux???
 
Old 08-19-2003, 02:08 AM   #4
mayank
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also is there any need for a external firewall for linux home users ?
 
Old 08-19-2003, 02:43 AM   #5
dalek
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Talking My opinion usually sucks but here it is

I use f-prot from www.f-prot.com. It's free for home use, pay for business. It's command line but it works. I use "f-prot /*". Scans everything and puts infected files on the screen.
There are a few viruses for Linux, just not many. Linux is more secure in general than windoze. I use anti-virus just to keep it from spreading to others. I wouldn't want someone to send me one so I try to keep from sending them to.
If you have a DSL or similiar connection I would use a firewall. A ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Take a old system and use it as a firewall.

Hope this helps.

 
Old 08-19-2003, 07:47 AM   #6
MasterC
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Good quote there dalek

Yeah, basically, why expect your ultra bad OS to handle itself? Give it that hardening it needs. Because, as nearly all security experts seem to agree:
You are never secure, and when you **think** you are, that's when you are most vulnerable. There is a definite reason there are virus scanners/blockers in linux, it's prevention at it's finest. On a scale, yes they aren't as big a threat as if you were running, say, windoze, but they are a threat nonetheless.

A firewall cannot hurt if you have the ability/cash to get one. However, a well defined set of IPTables can be just as invaluable (firestarter is a front end for IPTables) as an external hardware based one.

Really, if you guys (or ANYONE) hasn't seen that ultimate security thread in Linux - Security (It's stickied) I strongly suggest you look at it. Consider hardening (tm) your box to the point where most people would consider you a paranoid delusionist

Cool
 
Old 08-19-2003, 08:04 AM   #7
cnjohnson
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Quote:
Originally posted by mayank
also is there any need for a external firewall for linux home users ?
Yes, there is! If you have a broadband connection (DSL or cable) then by all means spring for a cable/dsl 4-port switch. These little boxes (I use the netgear) have an inbuilt firewall, which is configured to stop all inbound services, and because it does NAT, your inside network is hidden from the outside. These little firwalls do DHCP, can provide a printer port (mine does), log all "untoward" events, report DoS attacks...all in all well worth the investment.

As for virus protection, that depends, IMHO. If you have a Windows box on the inside, then I say "Yes." If you run completely linux (I do), and you strictly follow linux's inherent security model (I haven't logged in as root, or su'd to root in about a month), you keep all your programs upto date security-wise, you don't run services or programs you don't need, and you only have ports open that need to be open, then you are about as safe as can be. More and more linux software does not need to run as root so that system exposure to a virus is smaller and smaller.

What a virus program cannot protect you from is the hidden macro. Someone can put a "rm -rf /*" as a macro in an OpenOffice document (or even a plain text document that you use vi to edit, and coax you into using the !r command), and if you run as root, well, you see the issue. But if you consistently run as yourself, as a regular user, then even a destructive command as rm -rf /* will have an impact, but it will be well contained.

Cheers--
Charles
 
Old 08-19-2003, 08:42 AM   #8
unSpawn
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Unfortunately ninetynine percent of the Linux community still thinks of viruses the MICROS~1 way, when someone asks a question about viruses on Linux.

Like I said in the post C referenced to, it's not the old virus idea we want people, but the typical hurdles we face running Linux like bad user/filesystem permissions, b0rken/suid/sgid software, worms, trojans and rootkits.


Btw, I don't think !r or :.! is bad cuz you will have to key it in manually, autosourcing files definately is. Doesn't mean !r can't be abused, but like with all stuff: if you don't know what its doin, read up on it first or ask a second opinion.
 
Old 08-19-2003, 01:18 PM   #9
dalek
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Lightbulb My further comments

If you run Linux and don't care if you pass a virus on, you don't need virus software. If you want to help stop viruses and do your civic duty, you should run a anti-virus program. There are very very few viruses for Linux. I read that there are only three or four and they are old and no longer cause problems.
I run one to help put a stop to the spread. The same with a router. If you don't care about your 'friends' on the internet, let someone break into your system, use 'god' as your password and make it easy, and use it in a denial of service attack. Won't affect you will it? One bad thing happend in the Northeast last week. That one bad thing lead to over 50 million people being without power. We don't really know yet what happened but it started somewhere. What IF someone did something to prevent it? Like maybe a 200 or 300 dollar part, or a little better program in a computer. There comes that once of prevention.
I'm glad to say that we have very few problems in our area with power or phone service. Our local power companies keeps the area around the lines clean. They even mow the grass under the real big grids. The phone company has buried all the phone lines. In the past 15 years our phone has been out about 3 times. It even stayed on once after a tornado and the power was out only about 8 to 10 hours. Our power rarely goes out. It may blink but rarely goes out. When it does it is usually on very quickly. I say this because they use the once of prevention model. It works.
Could you imagine if MS had not left the hole in there system be there to begin with for the msblaster worm? Could you imagine if everyone had done the updates when they should have?
I'm disabled and hope to get DSL soon. If and when I do I'll get a firewall before I hook it up. If I can't afford the firewall I'll use dial-up till I can. I'll do my part and I really wish others would too. The internet is everybodies responsability, not just the big companies. I would like to see everyone do there part.
I'm not being critical here to the above posts. I agree with what was wrote. We need to keep all our systems secure and protected. I just wanted to make people think about the mess we can have if everone takes the attitude of "It's not my job, let someone else take care of it". It's all our internet, no one owns it, it' ours. We should take care of it.

My quarters worth. A little more than two cents this time.

 
Old 08-19-2003, 05:13 PM   #10
MasterC
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At a quick search (I seem to remember a lot more) I found this page:
http://www.viruslist.com/eng/virusli...?findTxt=linux
Which seems to report ~80 ?

Just an idea

Cool
 
Old 08-19-2003, 05:58 PM   #11
unSpawn
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Re: My further comments

(If you run Linux.*We should take care of it.)
Excellent. Take responsability. Couldn't agree more.


Which seems to report ~80 ?
esc p <previous post by me>
...and you don't "fight" those with AV SW and a firewall alone.
Btw, I view all official AV doc/reward/benchmark sites with more than a pinch of paranoia. Most of them are part of or being sponsored by AV companies and they manage to rate even truely worthless products well.
 
Old 08-19-2003, 07:31 PM   #12
Nightmatrix
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Hey

Hey Thanks everyone I found some antivirus software to use


Talk to ya soon
 
Old 08-19-2003, 08:03 PM   #13
oni0n56
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wow thanks for your.. umm enlightenining me [oops one too many in]
 
Old 08-19-2003, 08:48 PM   #14
yenonn
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do i need to update the virus definition as what norton does?
 
Old 08-19-2003, 11:09 PM   #15
oni0n56
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and also umm... about firewalls.. i tried using one in windows a while back and it wrecked everything [internet and it kept having weird errors... [not the regular kinds.. it was like a white box and ... ] and hella unstable and we had to also remove it when we installed cable to get it working... so im knda hesitant to install it in linux .. :-p [i have a cable modem and cable internet connect and i didnt have to do anything to set it up in linux... incase that would help] so would getting a firewall be bad? i was thikning of like.. is tehre a firewall that like shows all the incoming/outcoming [I/O] packets or stuff like that? thatd jusst be cool eye candy to watch... :-D well tell me about gizmoz and gadgetz like that and wheth er you think it'd mess with the intrnet..
 
  


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