Solved Antivirus for Linux?

Solved issue
You might let the attacker in without realizing it. Let's look at it this way: let's say you wanted to secure your valuable stuff and you lived in a really really bad neighborhood. So you put a nice lock on your front door, but you don't have a nice lock on your backdoor or your windows. You also don't install or use an alarm system. You also opt out of hiring a security guard. Your system will only be as secure as you make it. Yes, you should use an AV system, and an IDS (intrusion detection system). It might be that someone is breaking in and spying on you right now and you don't even know it because you didn't bother to pay attention. Your vigilance is what makes all the difference in the world. Ignorance can be bliss, until your eyes are ripped open and you are forced to face the cold hard reality that there is no such thing as perfect security. I would suggest looking up the Dunning-Kruger effect.

Signed,

Matthew Campbell
 


No OS is bulletproof.

I trust this guy's advise.
easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.com

Security in Linux Mint and Ubuntu: an Explanation and Some Tips

Easy tips, tweaks and tricks for Linux Mint and Ubuntu, both for beginners and for advanced users. Complete starter's guide with simple how-to's.
easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.com easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.com

Run your browser in a sandbox.
firejail.wordpress.com

Firejail

security sandbox
firejail.wordpress.com firejail.wordpress.com
 
ron.alan said:
Note it says "servers" and "mail servers." The average desktop user of Linux just doesn't need an AV. :)
Click to expand...
The average desktop users don't but some companies require AV, I can imagine that even some companies that use Linux as a workstation use AV as per company policy. I still think people can over think how impenetrable their used os is as there are remote execution exploits, privilege escalation exploits and back doors(ie: xz backdoor) for both Windows, Linux, Android, IOS, etc. I still run an AV on my Android(Linux-based) phone since phones are a big target now too since there's so much valuable information that could gathered from them when hacked.
 
davinci74 said:
Hello community. Is it necessary to have to use an antivirus, vpn, etc for protection?? I have Linux mint cinnamon 22 installed as duel/multi boot
Click to expand...
not necessary
Linux is one of the most secure os out there
So trust LINUX
 
f33dm3bits said:
I still think people can over think how impenetrable their used os is
Click to expand...
Security is a balancing act, be it a computer system or a bank building, usability and cost have to be balanced against functionality [no good having a totally secure bank branch if no one can get in to do their business] and computers are the same, to make them totally secure would make them unusable.
I think most of us would agree Linux is inherently more secure than the Big W. but it dose suffer the same major flaw, and that is the connection between the seat back and keyboard,, and there is no way any security application can account for that.
One thing most EX- Windows users bring with them to Linux is a deep-seated paranoia about security, [I too sufferd from this over 20 yrs ago when I changed over] its a part of the Microsoft mindset.
Just take into account, Paranoia is the bed fellow of salesmen [just look carefully at any adverts for security products]
 
Last edited:
davinci74 said:
Is it necessary to have to use an antivirus, vpn, etc for protection??
Click to expand...
You already learned AV is not needed so I'll add what others didn't, here are few programs for security:

  • tiger
  • logcheck
  • aide
  • debsums
  • debsecan
  • apparmor

With these you can review current status of your system (security wise) and take actions as needed to reduce attack surface.
 
CaffeineAddict said:
You already learned AV is not needed so I'll add what others didn't, here are few programs for security:

  • tiger
  • logcheck
  • aide
  • debsums
  • debsecan
  • apparmor

With these you can review current status of your system (security wise) and take actions as needed to reduce attack surface.
Click to expand...
Ok cool. Thanks man. IDK what i would of did on here without help form you fellows
 
Brickwizard said:
Security is a balancing act, be it a computer system or a bank building, usability and cost have to be balanced against functionality [no good having a totally secure bank branch if no one can get in to do their business] and computers are the same, to make them totally secure would make them unusable.
I think most of us would agree Linux is inherently more secure than the Big W. but it dose suffer the same major flaw, and that is the connection between the seat back and keyboard,, and there is no way any security application can account for that.
One thing most EX- Windows users bring with them to Linux is a deep-seated paranoia about security, [I too sufferd from this over 20 yrs ago when I changed over] its a part of the Microsoft mindset.
Just take into account, Paranoia is the bed fellow of salesmen [just look carefully at any adverts for security products]
Click to expand...
That just makes so much common sense.....
 
davinci74 said:
Ok cool. Thanks man. IDK what i would of did on here without help form you fellows
Click to expand...
Here is another command, from fwupd which should be installed by default on any distro:

Bash: 
fwupdmgr security

It will list your firmware security, HSI value goes from 0 to 4 (5 theoretically) and determines how secure your system is at hardware level.
Unfortunately raising HSI value often means buying more expensive hardware.

You can read more about it here:

FwupdPlugin: Host Security ID Specification

Reference for FwupdPlugin-1.0: Host Security ID Specification
fwupd.github.io
 
I would say the bottom line for desktop Linux security is:

1) Install all OS updates
2) Install all browser updates
3) Don't install Wine or mono runtime
4) Use common sense (which isn't so common)

5) Relax, you're on Linux. :)

Nothing more, nothing less.
 
f33dm3bits said:
Security is a process, not a tool or product :)
Click to expand...

I say, "Security is a process, not an application." I doubt that I'm the first to express it that way. It was something I said with some regularity back in my Slashdot days.

I think someone actually wanted to argue the point the last time I said it. I think I did the online equivalent of smiling and nodding rather than belabor the point.

I used to successfully run Windows without a resident AV running. I did use a firewall, but didn't bother with AV. I used a SOHO hardware firewall at the time. I forget which model but I think it was made by Juniper or Cisco.
 
ron.alan said:
I would say the bottom line for desktop Linux security is:

1) Install all OS updates - Yup.
2) Install all browser updates - Yup.
3) Don't install Wine or mono runtime - Er....HUH??
4) Use common sense (which isn't so common) - Definitely!

5) Relax, you're on Linux. :) - Indeedy!
Click to expand...

Y'know, I never understand this. I've used WINE since I switched to Linux a decade ago, and never had the slightest issue with it, security-wise.

I appreciate that some folks want nothing to do with Windows in any shape or form, but honestly, it beats me where this concept has come from that WINE can attract the full spectrum of Windows-centric malware......

This is no way criticism. I just genuinely don't understand the above statement..! :D

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

I use it for exactly two applications. A graphics app called PhotoScape - from a South Korean outfit called Mooii Tech, which has a very unique combination of tools - and which I've used since it came out around 2009. To get the same functionality under Linux, I would need to install at LEAST half-a-dozen different pieces of software......which does seem kinda pointless.

It's marketed as a 'fun photo editor'. But trust me, it's capable of SO much more than that when used in the right way.

And then there's Adobe's Photoshop CS2 suite.....which I actually treated myself to some 20 years ago. Needless to say, this will NOT run under Linux without some kind of Windows emulation layer. I invested a lot of money in this back then, and despite that it's an old version is still plenty powerful enough for me.

These two apps form the backbone of the main toolkit for my 40-yr old graphic design hobby.......and I am intimately familiar with how they work.

Alongside these, I've run the G.I.M.P for more years than I can count. I am also very familiar with how this functions; it, and Photoshop, basically perform the same bunch of operations, since they're both raster graphics editors......just with a slightly different workflow. In fact, I'm so handy with both of 'em, I can switch apps midway through a project & carry on without missing a beat.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

I run WINE as 'portable', sandboxed AppImages, from an external USB HDD. I run half-a-dozen different versions, and long ago built a 'switcher' GUI that lets me swap between builds in under 20 seconds.....

And with the unique way in which Puppy works, malware would have a HELL of a time even trying to find it, let alone infect it..! Even if it did - by some miracle - each sandboxed portable can be restored from backups in less than 5 minutes.

Never mind. Each to their own. That's the beauty of Linux; we can do SO much more with it than even Windows fanbois could dream of......and in a much more secure manner.


Mike. ;)
 
Last edited:
CaffeineAddict said:
You already learned AV is not needed so I'll add what others didn't, here are few programs for security:

  • tiger
  • logcheck
  • aide
  • debsums
  • debsecan
  • apparmor

With these you can review current status of your system (security wise) and take actions as needed to reduce attack surface.
Click to expand...
I would concentrate on IPS not IDS. Forensic analysis makes more sense in the case of server breach.
 
Aristarchus said:
I would concentrate on IPS not IDS.
Click to expand...
tiger is IPS tool (Intrusion Prevention System) since it helps to discover weak points before any incident happens.
and apparmor as well, but others are detection tools yes.

nftables can added to list as IPS as well.

Aristarchus said:
Forensic analysis makes more sense in the case of server breach.
Click to expand...
Sorry but I find it annoying when people say, if you're not running a server then you don't need server grade security.
behind corporal firewalls one does not find servers only but also workstations, so if this logic is applied to corporal networks then it doesn't make sense to secure only servers but ignore everything else.
 
If you mean this: https://www.nongnu.org/tiger/
Then, maintainers disagree with you. And it is a bit oldish.
I work at large international corporation. With perfect (until now) security record. Nope, I don't see anything server related installed on the workstations. Which in fact makes perfect sense.
Obviously, you can install whatever you want and be annoyed as much as you want that server aplications are not installed on the workstations but there is a reason for this.
 
Last edited:
Aristarchus said:
If you mean this: https://www.nongnu.org/tiger/
Click to expand...
Right, I have been reading Debian's security manual and mistakenly confused tiger for IDS, there it's classified as "Host Based Intrusion Detection" (as opposed to "Network Based Intrusion Detection")
But I confused these terms.

In any case tiger is awesome, it helped me fix several problems I would probably never figure out.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Staff online

Members online

Total: 663 (members: 10, guests: 653)

Latest posts

Top