Computer Help Blog

Many people who are new to Linux often wonder if it is necessary to install antivirus software on their computer. Some people even try to install antivirus software meant for Microsoft Windows on Linux! If you’re new to Linux, you might be wondering if it is actually necessary to install an antivirus software scanner on your Linux machine. The answer is — no!

The reason is: Most viruses are written for Microsoft Windows. There are people who claim that it is difficult to write viruses for Linux. This is because Linux is inherently more secure when compared to Windows. This may or may not be true — there are people on the opposite side who claim that both Windows and Linux are equally insecure. Another reason why there are very few viruses specifically aimed at Linux may be that not many people use Linux as a desktop system. The common computer-user is not very unlikely to use Linux. This is exactly the market segment that virus-writers target.

Irrespective of the reason and the outcome of the debates, we can say for certain that there are very few viruses for Linux. There are certain worms written specifically to attack Linux-based systems, but, these are mainly aimed at Web servers and not desktop computers.

It is safe to conclude that by running Linux, you are much likely not to encounter viruses and other malware. Most of the viruses which spread through e-mails and infected websites cannot cause any harm to the computer. For this reason, it is not necessary to install antivirus software application on your computer if you’re running Linux.

Certain antivirus companies such as AVG have versions for Linux as well. However, as it was mentioned before, these are not meant for desktop systems — these are meant for servers. You can download and install these for added security, but it is not necessary at all. This is one of the major reasons why many people switch to Linux.

So you want to protect your computer from viruses, spyware and other malware? Are you spending countless hours on Internet searching for the best computer security software? If yes, here are some tips to find the best computer security software to keep your computer safe and secure and protect your online privacy…

You cannot obtain complete security by using a single software application. That is you will need three kinds of software — antivirus scanner, spyware removal tool and firewall software. Many antivirus scanners do not detect Trojan horses. For this reason, you can also install a Trojan removal software on your computer. Firewall software will protect your computer from hacking attempts from the Internet. If you install all of these four applications computer, your computer will be very secure. However, installing the software can also make your computer very slow. For this reason, it is essential that you strike a balance between security and speed.

Always stick to well-known antivirus software. The same goes for spyware removal tools as well. There are many fake antivirus and spyware removal tools on the Internet. In fact, many of these contain viruses themselves and the design only to force you to purchase the so-called "full versions". Some of the leading antivirus software in the market include Norton, Kaspersky, Avira and others. Before installing any software from the Internet, always ensure that you are installing the real software and not some fake one. Also read software reviews and user feedback before installing new antivirus software on your computer.

If you think that investing in security software is not a good idea, there are other alternatives. You can use the antivirus software on their computer. There are several free antivirus software on the Internet and these are equally effective in providing security to the computer. When compared to paid versions, these may lag behind in some aspects. However, they are better option than leaving your computer without an antivirus software installed. There are also several open source antivirus projects. ClamWin is one such project.

Several free spyware removal tools are also available on Internet. These include Spyware Terminator, Spy bot — search and destroy and Ad Aware SE. You can download these tools by searching in Google for the names. Alternatively, you can also download these from download.com.