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What antivirus programs are available for Ubuntu?

We previously used Symantec Endpoint Protection but it does not work in Ubuntu.

kiri
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Deepak Rajput
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7 Answers7

22

As an alternative to proprietary antivirus solutions like Symantec AntiVirus (non-free payware) and Avast AntiVirus (non-free freeware), you might consider ClamAV, which is free open source software. You can get it in Ubuntu by installing the clamav package. If you want a GUI for it, you can install clamtk. You can install packages in the Software Center or using apt-get from the command line as others have suggested (as well as other methods).

Community
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Eliah Kagan
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4

Its good to install anti-virus if you are dual booting or sometimes scan infected pen drives. The best option will be to use free Bit-defender for Linux. You must be knowing that Bit-defender one of the best or the best.

Link: Antivirus for Linux - Bitdefender Antivirus Scanner for Unices

Go To this link and choose 'Request a Free License (for personal use only)' from left hand side menu. You have to fill a form for license and they will send you a key and location to download anti-virus for your system.

After downloading:

Open terminal and go to location where you downloaded.

Make executable and change permission (You can use full name also I used asterisk alternatively)

chmod u+x BitDefender-Antivirus-Scanner*

Install (You can use full name also I used asterisk alternatively)

sudo ./BitDefender-Antivirus-Scanner*

The License page will open in terminal. Keep pressing space-bar till you reach end and than it will ask you to ACCEPT it. Just write

accept

And Press ENTER

Finally it will ask if you want to install GUI pack as well. Write

y

And press enter

Run it like any other application on Ubuntu. When you open it there will be an option to 'SET A NEW KEY' press it and copy the key you got in E-mail.

Bit-defender will be up and running with an year license and don't forget to Update it. There is an option in program to do so automatically.

blade19899
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Atul Kakrana
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3

July 22 2019: Avast for Linux seems to have been discontinued.

You can use Avast for Linux.

You can download it free from the Avast for Linux web page.

Swarnendu Biswas
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2

This is an updated list of antivirus softwares available (Only for Linux)

Conclusion

Why do I need anti-virus software?

You are required to have a virus scanner installed by the terms of use of the company you work for or are doing business with. To scan files locally, over your network, or going outside your network. For example, via email. Windows viruses may potentially run via Wine. Discovered GNU/Linux malware are mitigated.

Reasons Linux is less prone to malware Programs are run as normal user, not root user Open source - more eyes on the system source code Diverse system configurations Less malware actors overall focus on linux. However, proficient malware actors do target linux.

source for conclusion

Error404
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1

I have learned about the existence of

packages from @KevinBerry's question, where he inquired what packages people use in 2021 beyond these; but then his question got closed as a duplicate of this question, so it couldn't garner any answers.

I don't have any experience with these packages, but I think it's important that they are being mentioned.

Levente
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-1

You can also get F-Prot for Linux, it is free to use for home users. Unfortunately it does not come with a GUI.

You can find out more here: Product Overview - F-PROT Antivirus Products

and download it from here: F-PROT Antivirus for Linux - home use - F-PROT Antivirus Downloads

The install is quite straight forward, as it comes with an install script. It is recommended that you use the folder /usr/local/f-prot/ for the installation.

Open a terminal and extract the downloaded archive with this command:

tar -zxvf /path/to/fp-Linux.x86.32-ws.tar.gz

and then run the install script inside the folder you extracted it to:

/path/to/install-f-prot.pl
blade19899
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Ronny Grønsdal
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-1

I use now again the old good Dr.Web well known in Russia since 1980th: https://www.drweb.com/

They have native clients for all the desktop OSs and Android. Android license was free if you buy a desktop license. They also offer trials for testing.

Bor
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