When a seasoned Windows user first migrates to Linux, the first question is always “where is the anti-virus?” I have been asked this question countless time and were always given the “you are lying to me” kind of look when I told them that they don’t need anti-virus software in Linux.

Historically, there have been some [gnu/linux effecting viruses]. And there are browser exploits, of course, that no operating system is completely immune from. However, viruses, as we think of them in the Windows world, are highly unusual.

Once again the Defective by Design have sprung into action to denounce another product from Apple, and once again nobody really cares. Defective by Design is a marketing campaign sponsored by the Free Software Foundation. While the FSF does plenty of good work, DBD is increasingly out of touch with the majority of users.

System rescue cd from http://www.sysresccd.org/ include clam anti virus, during our standard operating procedure process I use this cd as one of virus detector.

If Linux is hardly affected by viruses, why do system administrators use anti-virus software on their Linux email servers? Because an anti-virus scanner on a mail server can serve as another level of defense for Microsoft Windows desktop users.

There has been a lot of debate recently over whether or not it's a good idea to run an anti-virus program if you're using Linux. I hope to clear up a common misunderstanding: An anti-virus program running on Linux is designed to detect Windows viruses, so that they aren't spread, unknowingly, by the Linux user. This article explains when you should run a Linux anti-virus, and what exactly they do.

Before we start our journey to Linux land there is one question you need to ask yourself: why do YOU want to switch from Windows to Linux? What do you expect Linux to achieve? You don't want to spend the time and effort learning about Linux just to realize that changing your operating system to Linux does not solve the problem you have or does not deliver the benefits you expected.

And the simple answer is: no, you do not need an anti-virus in Linux. Yes, let me tell you a little secret. Come closer. That's it. You don't need an anti-virus in Windows, either! Boom! There you go.

So far, I don’t have much to say about Linux, however, the one thing I’m seriously hung up on is the lack of anti-virus. Having been a Windows user for such a long time, it’s etched in my brain that anti-virus is a must and that if you don’t have it, then you’re an idiot.