Without any argument, Linux is the most secure platform in the world of operating systems. As we are going through numerous websites and apps every day, we may find vulnerabilities in the form of virus, trojan, malware, and more. To avoid that, you have to install a good and advanced Antivirus on your Linux computer. As the internet is filled with tons of Antivirus, you may find it challenging to pick the best one. After testing out 30+ Antivirus, we have listed out this top 10 best tool that you can try to protect your Linux machines.
Best Antivirus for Linux
Here are the best Antivirus for Linux that you can install and secure your PC.
- Sophos
- Comodo
- ClamAV
- chkrootkit
- Rootkit Hunter
- F-PROT
- Firetools
- Bitdefender
- Avast
Sophos
Sophos is the best and free antivirus that you can find for Linux. While comparing with other Antivirus, Sophos scans and detects malware on your Linux system much faster. It also uses live protection to detect malicious files in real-time. Apart from being a free application, it is lightweight in nature. Hence, it will not occupy too much space on your computer. You can run all the commands from the command-line interface as root.
It is also capable of detecting and blocking online suspicious or threats in real-time. After detecting the virus, Sophos will move the threat or malware to quarantine and presents different ways to deal with them. One of Sophos’s major highlights is that it also detects the virus that is meant for other platforms. Head to the official website of Sophos and download the package file. Once downloaded, move it to the directory that you want.
Comodo
Comodo is also a free Linux Antivirus that comes with spam mail protection, real-time protection, on-demand scanning, anti-phishing. The Antivirus is also available for Windows and macOS computers. It offers multi-layers of security to protect your system from online threats. Comodo also presents features to run on Sandbox browsers. It means all the details that you entered in the browser will be kept secure.
The email scanner filters spam emails and move them into quarantine effortlessly. It supports SendMail, Qmail, EXIM MTA’s, and Postfix. The only drawback with Comodo is that doesn’t have a web filter to prevents users from browsing the malicious URL.
ClamAV
ClamAV is an open-source Antivirus for Linux computers. It will be installed directly on your computer directory. You will run it through the command line. There are no paid versions. So you can download and use this Antivirus without any limitations. At the same time, it will not impact any changes to your system performance. The application will be updated regularly to detect all sorts of new threads.
It has strict mail gateway security to malicious links, viruses, or malicious code on your emails. Moreover, it all kind of email formats. If you’re a new ClamAV user, you may find it difficult to use as it lacks a native interface. Despite that, it provides strong protection to your PC from Trojan, rootkit, malicious URLs, and more.
chkrootkit
chkrootkit is the ideal option for users who are searching for rootkit detection. The name itself describes that the Antivirus will work on the root and contains different programs like ifpromisc.c, chkwtmp.c, check_wtmpx.c, chkdirs.c, strings.c and more. Because of its portable nature, you can burn it to a CD or USB drive quickly and easily.
chkrootkit scans for nearly 70+ rootkits, works, and other types of malware. It will receive regular updates to block the new threats. When needed, you can run chkrootkit from the command line.
Rootkit Hunter
Rootkit Hunter is another best Antivirus for rootkit detection on Linux. It is portable and compatible with FreeBSD and UNIX-based systems. Running via command line, it scans all your files regularly for unusual behavior. It will help you to trace down the new rootkits. To detect and block the malicious entries, Rookhit hunter uses SHA-1 hash comparison.
Rootkit Hunter is not a full-fledged antivirus. It provides an extra layer of protection to your system. At the same time, it is not designed to monitor online activities. Hence, it will not notify or block you while browsing the malicious URL.
F-PROT
F-PROT is a well-known one among the Linux users. You can use this tool for both business and personal purposes. According to its developer, it can detect nearly 21 million threats, macro, trojans, and boot sector viruses. It helps you to scan both the internal storage files, CD-ROMS, network drives, directories, and external drives.
F-PROT doesn’t include internet security tools to protect against keyloggers’ efforts. You can schedule the app to scan your system regularly and move the threats to quarantine immediately.
Firetools
Firetools is a perfect Sandboxing tool to detect malicious URLs or web scripts. Being open-source software helps you to run scripts and software in a separate environment. It also lets you run the script without affecting other files. By doing this, you can check whether the program or script is safe to use on your Linux.
Firetools is the GUI version of Firejail. By configuring the browser with Firetools, the browser will be sandboxed automatically whenever you open it. Hence, you can browse the internet without worrying about any harmful web scripts.
Bitdefender
Bitdefender is an ideal premium Antivirus for Linux and FreeBSD based computers. It also protects dual-booted systems. If required, it can scan and protect both Linux and Windows-based drives. For Linux systems, the developer offers a 30-day free trial period, which you can access to test the features.
The real-time scanner ensures that malicious and suspicious behavior in the system will be detected and removed automatically. The intuitive GUI and powerful command-line interface supports OS scripting tools.
It is one of the best Antivirus for Mac PCs as well.
Avast
Avast is another familiar name in the Antivirus world. It supports core security and network security along with file server security. Along with on-demand scanning, it also supports real-time protection to block the threats immediately.
Like other tools, Avast Antivirus also has regular updates to block new threats. If you’re a business person and planning to purchase an Antivirus to secure your servers, Avast is an ideal one.
Even though Linux doesn’t require any Antivirus, it is advisable to use the above-mentioned tools for extra protection. As most of them are free to ease, you can give them a try.