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**DoYouKubuntu** · Aug 07, 2015, 01:59 PM

Interesting info--and I'm not at all surprised by your results. Thanks for sharing.

I've used *nix since 1985 and have yet to have a single problem with viruses/malware/etc.--that I'm aware of! I have to admit I don't run virus scans, but I'm very confident that the way I configure and use Linux simply doesn't lend itself to such issues.

**jpenguin** · Aug 17, 2015, 11:55 PM

I think I've seen that video before, an OS is only as secure as the user. Even on windows, I've never had much of a problem with viruses

**Qqmike** · Aug 18, 2015, 10:56 AM

Tried Sophos for the first time, as I'd heard good things about it. Have not turned on the real-time scanning (yet), I only ran the scan now function, figured out it is best as sudo:

Run as user, without sudo:

mike@mike-desktop:~/Downloads/Sophos_AV$ savscan /
28175 files scanned in 1 minute and 28 seconds.
108 errors were encountered.
No viruses were discovered.
End of Scan.

Then:

Run with sudo:

mike@mike-desktop:~/Downloads/Sophos_AV$ sudo savscan /
SAVScan virus detection utility

Version 5.12.0 [Linux/AMD64]
Virus data version 5.15, May 2015
Includes detection for 9239070 viruses, Trojans and worms
Copyright (c) 1989-2015 Sophos Limited. All rights reserved.

System time 10:47:16 AM, System date 18 August 2015

28787 files scanned in 31 seconds.
14 errors were encountered.
No viruses were discovered.
End of Scan.

I think I'll keep it installed, at least for awhile, though I've never had any malware problems (that I'm aware of) in Kubuntu.

**GreyGeek** · Aug 18, 2015, 02:29 PM

Originally posted by jpenguin View Post

I think I've seen that video before, an OS is only as secure as the user. Even on windows, I've never had much of a problem with viruses

Neither have I. At work, however, they installed a $28,000 Linux gateway with AV software to act as an Internet gateway because infections on tthe 450 Windows client machines were happening on almost a daily basis, shutting down the Novell network. After the Linux gateway was installed the infections dropped to zero per week until a flurry of action was found to originate from CD's brought by employees from home, usually containing music to play at work. The IT staff disabled all CD and USB ports on machines not used by developers. That pretty much ended the infections.

On my personal machines, which I always dual booted with Windows for years, I never had problems with infections either, AFAIK. Scans were always negative., But, I never visited questionable sites. I found myself using WinX less and less, and about a year ago I removed Win7 and gave the entire HD to Trusty Tahr. During hat previous year I had booted into Windows only three times and that to get updates and fresh vaccine files. I was wasting my time and finally removed it. I should have done it several years ago.

**clivejo** · Aug 19, 2015, 04:17 AM

That video makes me so angry. The guy has no idea what he is talking about!! The only thing he has proved is that malware files can get onto the file system.

If you look closely at the files, they are .exe and .dll, which are WINDOWS executable and library files. Also look up the so called infections, Troj/Espion-AD and Troj/Farfli-B are listed as windows malware. The only way a Linux system can execute these files are via Wine or a Virtual Machine and even then it would be in a container and wouldn't affect the operation of the host system!

Continue on the listen to his understanding of defragging!! Such a load of bull!! This guys obviously has some sort of agenda and has disable comments on the video for a very good reason.

**GreyGeek** · Aug 19, 2015, 09:42 AM

Originally posted by clivejo View Post

That video makes me so angry. The guy has no idea what he is talking about!! The only thing he has proved is that malware files can get onto the file system.

If you look closely at the files, they are .exe and .dll, which are WINDOWS executable and library files. Also look up the so called infections, Troj/Espion-AD and Troj/Farfli-B are listed as windows malware. The only way a Linux system can execute these files are via Wine or a Virtual Machine and even then it would be in a container and wouldn't affect the operation of the host system!

Continue on the listen to his understanding of defragging!! Such a load of bull!! This guys obviously has some sort of agenda and has disable comments on the video for a very good reason.

For any virus or Trojan that is downloaded (which takes user action), to run it must be marked as an executable (if it is an executable file, and that also takes user action) and then it must be run (which also takes user action). So, infections in Linux from downloadable files are entirely the fault of the user. For the Java virtual machine the story is different. Malicious java applets on nefarious websites can be executed on the fly. The ability to do more damage than just to the user account depends on the sophistication of the malware. It it is a hook to download more powerful software the user's root account could be accessed by escalation of privileges to root level. That's why some browsers have disabled java.

However, I keep Java enabled on FireFox (which had a security hole in versions before 39.0.3, IIRC) and have never been infected. Probably because I don't visit seedy sites, which is what happens when the little head does all the thinking.

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Trying the Linux version of Sophos AV

Trying the Linux version of Sophos AV

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