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you can't get vitus running linux yet so you doN,t need anti-virus, EXCEPT if you want to scan a windoze box from your linux box.
The "better" (wrt to "nature" and usage of Linux) answer would be for people to let go of the "old" virus paradigm.
It is true the amount of "viruses" written (including exotic stuf like for instance hybrid PE/ELF infectors) is below ten, and the count of those released "In The Wild" is zilch (if you discount Proof of Concept code). No real harm there.
Since Linux is primarily a "networked OS", a server platform, and because of the way Linux operates (including privilege separation etc etc) we like to focus on different "infection vectors" (vehicle, means of transportation) like worms (self-propelling/self-replicating applications with a malicious payload) and trojans (applications with a malicious payload mimicking "legitimate" applications) and different security threats that could cause "problems" ranging from application failure to direct privilege elevation like buffer, heap and stack overflows (memory related mistakes wrt programming assumptions/faults in applications).
So, besides using server and client AV products if you provide services for MICROS~1 clients you should refocus and make sure your system is secured, updated, firewalled, your (network) services secured, have a system-independant means of verifying the systems' integrity, audit your system regularly and pay attention to the logs.
Virus only exists because M$ done sloppy work.
If you can specifiy why this situation exists using words and phrases like "bad programming", "bad practices", "unbridled platform integration", "privileges", "admin", "end-user", "not educated", "don't care" then I agree. This may sound harsh but anything else, MICROS~1 bashing w/o presenting facts and proper arguments, is useless, spreading mindless FUD, because you then focus on MICROS~1 instead of making a case for Linux.
If you can specifiy why this situation exists using words and phrases like "bad programming", "bad practices", "unbridled platform integration", "privileges", "admin", "end-user", "not educated", "don't care" then I agree.
Well M$ still having bad programming strategy. They try to teach us VB.NET at university but they have serious problem about that M$ piece of crap. To use this software at his full power (to build dll, add component, programming web application), you need admin rights. Of course in an university, NO ONE has admin rights, except the admin (they try to give us these right lasts years... ewww, it was like giving all prisonners in a jail guns asking them not to use them). So our courses are mostly like listening to the teacher then trying to do the same AT HOME because M$ programmers can't even spell "security" or "good programmation measure".
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