Any real-time antivirus for Ubuntu?

Question

Is there any real-time anti virus for Ubuntu? Which antivirus is good and in real-time (I mean that, if I try to open an infected file or go to a bad website, it stops it). I read a post in ubuntuguide and here is a part of it: Anti-virus

If you are running a file server, interface frequently with Windows drives or share files with Windows users, or use virtualization, you will want a virus checker for your Windows files.

Despite extensive misinformation, Linux is not immune from malware (witness the explosion of malware being created for the Linux-based Google Android systems). The malware is not usually spread within the OS itself (as long as the OS is a well-respected distribution obtained through official channels), but in trojan programs downloaded and installed by users outside of the normal software distribution channels (i.e. repositories) of the OS. There is always a danger to using programs downloaded from the Internet from sources other than respected repositories -- it is the primary reason that Debian and (K)Ubuntu retain tight control over their software repositories.

Any file can have malware embedded in it (which is trivial to achieve by concatenation, for example: cat originalfile.avi malware.exe > originalfileplusmalware.avi). The question is whether a user will try to open a file with a program (such as a media player) that has been compromised in a way that allows it to execute the code found in the infected media (e.g. .avi) file. This can occur not only for Windows users but for any OS (including Mac OSX and Linux) with a compromised program (e.g. media player). An example is the extensive problems the Mac OS community is currently having with the Flash player.

Routine scanning of any file downloaded from the Internet, any file imported from another user's computer (even a trusted source, since their attention to virus prevention may not be as compulsive as yours), or any attachment received in an email (even from a trusted sender) should be done with an anti-virus program. So I think that there is a need for anti-virus in Ubuntu.

Answer 1

As others have noted, you probably do not need it. However, comodo, kaspersky and few others offer real-time antivirus protection

Answer 2

The current landscape of Linux anti-virus has changed since when this question was first asked. If you want an actively-scanning AV solution like one might be accustomed to in Windows, you more or less have to purchase Business/Enterprise solutions from Sophos, Bitdefender, Avast, ESET, etc.

Comodo is an option, but some reviews indicate it's terrible and doesn't function properly.

Pretty much every guide on the Internet now is pointing to outdated information as companies used to offer Linux support, but have now dropped it. Personally I find it stupid to support MacOS, but not another Unix-based OS like Linux.

Readily available, you have ClamAV/ClamTK that you can use to do scheduled scans with crontab. Then I suppose from there it's doing your due diligence (the part I hate) which is verifying the checksum for downloaded executables/packages, setting up the firewall, and only enabling what is absolutely necessary.

Edit (2024-07-17): After discussing this on the Bitdefender forums, it appears that eScan is a viable option for anti-virus on Linux. It uses the BitDefender engine and BD is a highly regarded AV solution in independent testing.

Answer 3

I've tried loading the Comodo one, the download link fails. I installed the Sophos Antivirus for Linux It was pretty easy to get and install on my Debian install. I just do it for the same reason their site says "To prevent the Linux machine from becoming a distribution point,..." I would be remiss if I just stored inert viruses on my Computer for my Windows machines to pick up at some point. Sophos scans for all platform malware, not just linux "threats." If the link fails in the future, it's in their "Free Tools" section.

Also several tools work in Chromium as extensions for checking safety of domains. Avira has one that works across platforms in Chrome. Also, using a DNS that is filtered is really a great starting point! Like the ones available at OpenDNS, which are free, and help filter out known malicious domains before you can proceed to them.

Answer 4

There are antivirus software available for Ubuntu, but, you should use Intrusion Detection Prevention System and configure your Firewall very well. This would help to protect your system. Linux is no more immune to viruses, that is why I suggest you use IDPS and internal Firewall.

For IDS, Snort is available here: Snort Page
and for Firewall in Ubuntu you have to type following command in Terminal:

1. sudo ufw enable - This will enable Firewall in your system.
2. sudo ufw status - This will show the status of your Firewall and also use iptables for defining rules.

To know currently configured rules in iptables type the following command:

3. iptables -L You may learn about iptables from this link: Iptables Page

Answer 5

Don't think there are any real-time antivirus programs for Linux that scans websites etc. on the run.

Answer 6

There is no need of a one. If such a virus comes specifically for Linux, there will be always a way to remove it. Can you seriously find such virus for Linux??