Viruses, villains and infection vectors
Linux does a lot to protect you, but should you do more to protect it?
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laims that Linux doesn’t need a virus checker are a little misleading. For one thing, there have been viruses and malware that target Linux (both explicitly and by dint of their being cross-platform). And there will continue to be more. But they’re unlikely to be a threat for home users, so long as they’re getting software from credible sources (such as your distro’s repositories), keeping it updated and being savvy about things. You should make regular backups in case the worst happens.
On the other hand, if you’re running say an email server, then you’ll have software that scans attachments for viruses, and not just Linux ones. ClamAV is popular in this case, and is easy to integrate with mail transfer agents like Postfix. If you’re running questionable Windows binaries through Wine, then be aware that lots of malware works flawlessly with it. Not only might this ruin your weekend gaming plans and Lutris configurations, but it could turn your Linux fortress into a spam-spewing zombie. Without safeguards Wine programs can access files without the prefix they’re running in, so don’t assume any kind of isolation.