Everyone who uses the Linux operating system is well aware that with normal handling of the system, the need for antivirus simply disappears. However, in some cases, anti-virus software can play an important role in preserving the integrity of useful files. Let's understand in more detail which antivirus for Linux is best to use, and how it can be installed.

Antivirus systems can be found free of charge.

What are antivirus programs for?

There are a couple of reasons why you can justify the presence of anti-virus software on your PC:

• your PC is a server;
• Your local network has hardware running under Windows;
• On your device, next to Linux is installed and Windows.

These are the most frequent factors that force users to search for an effective and fast anti-virus scanner.

Free programs

Antivirus for Linux, like any other software component, can be freely available or sold for money. There are several effective and, most importantly, free tools to protect your PC.

Clamav

This solution takes top positions among the programs for which you do not have to pay. The application has a convenient GUI interface, has many useful options and does not slow down the system performance. The utility allows you to scan a specific directory, archive or mail. To install on Linux, just run sudo apt-get install clamav. If the repository is not downloaded, it will be possible to get it with the command sudo add-apt-repository ppa: ubuntu-clamav / ppa.

Avast

The Linux version is considered to be very effective and relevant today. The program is considered proprietary, the developers have worked on the creation of deb-packages, everything is installed quite easily. The system may request to enter personal data during installation in order to send a special key via e-mail. Experienced users recommend entering a Gmail account, otherwise a letter with license information may take a very long time.

Avira

Another representative of free scanners working on Linux. The German company, which released the antivirus, announced the complete cessation of support for Linux. Obviously, the program did not receive support among users due to the lack of a user-friendly interface. The user is offered only an icon on the panel, everything works seamlessly, and the config files save the settings.

But the scanner protects the computer well and does not consume a lot of memory. You can download the application from torrent trackers, because on the website of the manufacturer this is no longer possible.

Paid programs

If you really value the information stored on your PC, or you want to secure the server, we recommend you buy one of the paid software products.

Dr.Web

For owners of Linux Mint 17 and other assemblies, an effective anti-virus application Dr.Web has been developed. Its creators are domestic developers. A license for 12 months costs at least 1000 rubles. To install, you will need at least 512 megabytes of free space and a network connection. If we talk about the licensed components, it is:

• update application in auto mode;
• GUI interface module for OS;
• console scanner.

According to the creators, the antivirus consumes little traffic when updating and does not load the computer at all. Viruses this program really catches well, but when scanning the system slows down a bit. Programmers are positioning the application as an excellent solution for home use, albeit a little expensive.

ESET NOD32

A popular Windows product is for Linux. The main advantage when buying a license is its versatility. If you have several systems on one computer, then it is enough to buy only one license. Scanning is fast enough, the utility usually finds all malicious and suspicious files.

It is important to understand that the paid versions provide the so-called trial period - free use for 1 month. The developer’s site provides a package with installation files.

The downside of the application is the inability to detect defects in archives where the password is set. You will learn about the virus only when you unzip the downloaded archive.

Results

Antiviruses for Linux are not used as often as for Windows. However, if you need to install such software, you can get it by downloading from the developer sites. Some versions are provided free of charge, and anti-virus utilities with greater efficiency and capabilities can be purchased for a small fee.