[MLB-WIRELESS] Virus risks on Linux?

[Donovan Baarda]

On Wed, Oct 09, 2002 at 08:36:29AM +1000, Tony Langdon wrote:
> > A question to throw into the linux and open source user circle...
> > Is linux as much at risk to virus' as Windows, etc?
> 
> I think the answer is "yes and no".  Linux is less susceptible to the
[...]
> However, Linux is quite susceptible to certain types of worm, as the Slapper
> worm has proven in recent times, so we're not out of the woods by a long
> shot.

The original question was "is linux as much at risk... as Windows", not "is
there _any_ risk to linux". To the original question, the answer is a
definited "No!". Sure, linux _can_ pass along worms, but in terms of hassle
factor and widspread damage, windows has far, far, far more virus problems. 

In 6+ years of running an online 24/7 linux system with multiple linux
workstations, I've _never_ had any virus problems. In the last week I've
been asked by 3 people for help to get rid of bugbear, and I don't even do
that kind of stuff. I'm sure I could make a full time living out of treating
Windows viruses if I wanted to.

> > It seems F-Prot antivirus has a linux flavour and is free but 
> > are there others?

F-Prot is a virus scanner for dos/windows that runs under linux...

> For a pure Linux environment, there's no real need for a traditional virus
> scanner.... yet.  That may change one day, if more virus writers target
> Linux.

I'm almost certain that there will never be a virus scanner for linux.
Instead, whenever a linux virus does appear, there will be security updates
that address the particular exploit the virus needs to propagate. 

The closest thing to a virus scanner for linux will be things like tripwire
and chkrootkit (intrusion detection programs).

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