Linux is one of the most secured OS available. Although some believe that this OS still has a small share of the market, and Malware is designed for mass destruction. No programmer would volunteer to spend his valuable time coding day and night for such a group, which is why Linux is known to have few or no viruses.
The main reason that Linux operating system is virus free is due to the fact that .exe files do not work on Linux operating system. This is totally opposite to the fact that all the viruses that are currently found exist in .exe format, which makes Linux virus-free.
The special permissions needed and the use of non-root accounts in Linux make it a lot harder to create a virus that will actually spread like it can in Windows or OS X.
Is Linux immune to viruses?
Any computer that is attached to a network is not immune to viruses. But, as with everything else, it’s relative. If you compare the vulnerability of Linux to Windows, you can understand why so many say Linux is immune. But before we get into any myth busting, let’s examine just what a computer virus is.
While I was researching we ran into the query “Is Linux 100% immune to viruses and malware?”.
To be true, No! No OS on this earth can be ever be 100% immune to Viruses and Malware. But still Linux never had a widespread malware-infection as compared to Windows. Let us find the reason behind this. Some people believes that Linux still has a minimal usages share, and a Malware is aimed for mass destruction.
And on top of that, the viruses that do manage to infect Linux will be much less widespread than Windows viruses — there has never been a single instance of a widespread Linux virus akin to your bi-monthly Windows worm that infects a few hundred-thousand/million computers.
Now, new type of viruses can attack the Linux system. But the main problem is getting root access. Linux will not give away root or administrative access like Windows does. That’s why people say that overall there are no viruses for Linux. But actually there are.
Maybe “Security systems” and “Linux” are words which you may see them together. As many people believe that OS X is immune to malware and viruses, also some Linux users have such misconception, but who can blame them for that? After all, vendors told them so for many years. To be honest, the answer is No!
One of the next things we asked ourselves was: does Ubuntu protect you from viruses?
Unfortunately, there are many people who believe this and think buying a Mac or installing Ubuntu will protect them somehow. There is some truth to the fact that Linux is a bit more secure, but OS X and Linux both have their share of viruses .
Does Linux need antivirus like Windows?
Linux systems have gained a reputation for being resistant to many malware. This is because they are securely designed and maintained hence are safer than other operating systems such as windows. So, does Linux need an antivirus like the ones we reviewed here ? Not really though you should know that malware for Linux does exist.
It’s not impossible to write viruses for Linux or compromise a Linux box, by any means. Linux machines have been hit by rootkits and the like, and they do exist. But the idea that Linux isn’t “as big a target” as Windows is ludicrous. Linux is what most web servers and the like run on, not to mention how many people have Linux-based Android phones .
Can a Windows virus contaminate a Linux system?
Now a windows virus can not contaminate a Linux until Wine is installed and run as root. Hence it is suggested not to run wine as root. You can not set a Linux System without setting up root password and user password.
How to protect Linux from malware and viruses?
Here are precautions to take to protect your Linux machines from threats such as malware or viruses, Linux user is advised to get trusted software from authorized repositories such as Github. If you are running cross-platform with a windows workstation; make sure to get up-to-date anti-virus software.