An antivirus scanner for Linux servers with Windows clients
Heedful Helper
© Lead Image © 3dalia, 123RF.com
The Sophos Anti-Virus for Linux free antivirus scanner works unobtrusively in the background and targets mainly server operators and users who exchange files with Windows computers.
Newcomers in particular wonder about the security of the still unfamiliar Linux operating system. Can you really do without an antivirus scanner on Linux, and if so, should you do so? Can you really bank online without an antivirus scanner? The answer has not changed in recent years: Linux itself does not need an antivirus scanner.
Antivirus scanners for Linux typically target server installations, looking for infected files and attachments on mail and file servers. As services, they thus run in the background. Sophos Anti-Virus (SAV) for Linux is in this group of scanners; the application comprises a service with a toolset for the command line. Don't expect visual feedback unless the Sophos scanner discovers something on your disk or you are attempting to store an infected, or purportedly infected, file.
Sophos Anti-Virus
SAV is available for free from the Sophos website [1] in exchange for your email address. The installation package, sav-linux-free-9.9.tgz, weighs in at 423MB – antivirus programs are not exactly lightweight. To set up the application, unpack the archive and run the text-based installation routine as root:
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