Antivirus in Ubuntu/Linux: An Antivirus application is a program that detects and removes viruses. Thus, it keeps systems secure. With proliferation of threats on computer networks in the last decade, Antivirus application has become the need of the hour. Malicious applications can be trojans, rootkits, spywares, malwares, keyloggers, ransomwares etc. Antivirus applications are build to detect and purge these malicious files.
Do we need an Antivirus for Ubuntu?
If you never connect to internet, transfer files through USB devices etc. then we can say you perhaps don’t need an Antivirus. But, if we do that then we under-utilize our machine. One can say Ubuntu is far secure than their counterparts. But, that doesn’t its 100%. It all depends on users’ preference and skill to handle their machine if the user encounters a malicious application.
Virus and related threats are a rarity for Ubuntu/Linux
We come across two arguments which support the above statement –
First of those, is about the number of users. Though Ubuntu/Linux is far more popular today than it was in past decades. So, people argue that just because its users’ are less in number therefore nobody writes a malicious code for it.
Second argument, due to its open-source policy it is tough to exploit its vulnerabilities. As everyone has the access to the code. Therefore, vulnerabilities (if found) are fixed in no time. We get regular security updates. Operating Systems are supported for years through Long-term Support releases. Even when they have to upgrade, transition is smooth.
But, we can’t say everything is perfect. In the world of uncertainties next threat could just be round the corner. Security is just an illusion.
Conclusion
Installing an Antivirus application is not a bad idea. Especially, if we don’t understand how things work. So, it is always better to install an extra layer of security. Even if we know what we are doing it is not possible for us to monitor everything all the time.
