Linux virus cases are seemingly on the rise in 2024, and it can be a problem for both enterprise and home users. Antiviruses can invade your computer causing irreparable damage. Not only that, but cybercriminals are also targeting Linux-based networks, servers, and IoT devices. Unfortunately, simply relying on best practices to protect your Linux devices no longer works. There are a plethora of new programs in repositories all over the internet that are said to tackle the latest antivirus threats. However, some of these so-called antivirus programs are bad and could even cause you even more damage.
Nevertheless, before we highlight the list of the best antivirus for Linux, we need to explain how we created our list of the top antivirus for Linux, as well as discover why having antivirus protection software for Linux is important.
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This article was last updated on 23 April 2024
The Best Antivirus for Linux
As highlighted earlier, taking the time to find the best antivirus for Linux ubuntu or best anti malware for linux can be difficult, especially when you consider that Linux is one of the smaller operating systems out there. When you search for some malware protection for your Linux-based computer, you need to be careful that you don’t choose just any antivirus software for Linux.
To help ensure this doesn’t occur, we have taken the time to compare various solutions and antivirus software to ensure which one is best suited to you. We have ranked the best providers based on how they performed in our review process. To this end, the best antivirus software for Linux is:
How we select the Best Antivirus for Linux
This section of the article highlights the criteria used to rank the top antivirus for Linux.
Protection
One of the first things you need to consider is just how much protection the best antivirus software for Linux provides. There are new threats always coming up and various nefarious actors looking to infiltrate your system and benefit from stealing your information. Having great antivirus protection on your Linux machine ensures that you have real-time protection all the time.
For one, you want something that is constantly offering antivirus protection and that is why you need the best antivirus software for Linux.
Malware
Malware is a program that has damaging effects on your operating systems. What this means is that this software is created to damage and wreak havoc on your system. Unfortunately, being on the internet raises the risk of your computer getting infected. The best antivirus for Linux machines is one that can seamlessly protect you from malware.
You also need something that can protect you from adware. Adware is a type of malware that hijacks your computer and places advertising on it. These adverts tend to appear when you are doing something important, sometimes taking over the entire screen. They also cannot be deleted without getting the best antivirus software for Linux.
The best anti-malware for Linux is one that offers protection from spyware which is a form of malware. This malware type is said to be the most dangerous as its sole purpose is to mine personal and private information from your computer. The moment your computer is infected with spyware, it starts to find information such as your shopping website and login accounts to mine your financial information as well as any other piece of information that can be exploited.
Having the best antivirus for Linux ubuntu with malware protection can ensure that your network security and important information such as your social security and credit card number are kept safe.
Effectiveness at detecting threats
In Linux antivirus comparison, the best antivirus software for Linux is one that is capable of steadily detecting threats. Considering that viruses and malware are constantly being created, you need antivirus protection that is constantly being updated and strengthened.
For this reason, the best antivirus for Linux ubuntu is one that can seemingly detect threats to your Linux machine. This means that the moment your computer or devices are inundated by nefarious programs, the top antivirus for Linux can seamlessly identify them and eradicate them. The best antivirus software for Linux is one that offers real-time protection.
System impact
When you get any antivirus protection for your Linux-based computer, you should always consider how it would affect your system. This is especially true if you intend to work on your system while the antivirus program is working in the background.
Considering that malware is typically hidden at first, you should always have antivirus protection software for Linux that protects your computer without placing a strain on its resources. It doesn’t really make sense to have to suffer through a slow and unresponsive computer, simply because the antimalware protection software is working in the background. The best Linux antivirus is one that works alongside your system protecting it rather than draining it.
Extra features
With additional features, you can get anything from a VPN service and digital password managers to safe browsers and email protection. There really is no limit to what you can get as part of the extra features package.
Nevertheless, the best Linux antivirus is one that offers not just antivirus protection and scheduled scans but extra features to ensure that your computer has everything it needs to remain safe and protected.
A few of these features include hardened browses, malicious email detection, smart VPN providers, antiphishing tools, home protection, and privacy tools to name a few.
Usability/interface
The best antivirus for Linux ubuntu is one that you can use seamlessly. There should be no steep learning curves associated with using a Linux-based antivirus software. The interface needs to be user-friendly inundated with clear navigation instructions. The menus should also be clear to ensure that users have no problem changing their settings. Users should also be able to understand what the menu and option items do.
Price
For most people, how much they pay for the best antivirus software for Linux determines how high they rank antivirus protection importance. The truth is that you really cannot put a price on having the best antivirus for Linux ubuntu protection on your computer.
Making the mistake of paying too much attention to the price can be detrimental as this can cause you to simply go for much cheaper options that end up causing more problems than they solve. The best way to consider price is to ensure that you get value for money.
As stated earlier in the article, we have taken the time to research the best antivirus for Linux, so you can be sure that which ever one you choose, you are indeed getting value for your money. The best antivirus for Linux ubuntu also comes with discounts and promotions depending on the time of the year. So, if you plan it outright, you could get the best antivirus for Linux ubuntu at a decent price.
Customer support
When looking for good antivirus for linux, the best antivirus software for Linux is one that offer great customer support. Customer support in this instance means that you as a customer are able to speak with knowledgeable staff on any issues you might face or for enquiries. The best antivirus software for Linux should have customer service that is available across different platforms. They should be available via live chat, email, telephone and more. Furthermore, the best antivirus software for Linux is one that offers 24/7 or dedicated ways for customers to access help.
Why you should use Antivirus
When you have the best antivirus software for Linux, you can be sure that you are protected from spyware, ransomware, adware, and virus programs. The days of believing that Linux-based systems aren’t on the radar of nefarious actors is over. More and more viruses are beginning to target Linux os, so it is vital that you are protected.
Having the top antivirus for Linux can ensure that you are protected from phishing and scams. Any of the top 10 Linux antivirus programs can ensure your command line interface is protected from infiltration. Furthermore, not only do you get malware protection, you also get specialised tools such as a safe browser to hide malicious sites and stop them from gaining your information.
You can also use the antivirus protection to help keep your Linux base computer clean from malware. This program can provide you with several protection layers such as VPN services and dark web monitoring. Having a benefit like dark web monitoring can be great to have. This feature scours the dark web for your information, proactively protecting you from your information being leaked.
Free antivirus offers only basic protection
While all of the above are great reasons for getting only the very best antivirus software for Linux, there are still some people that would prefer to go the free route. A reason for this is because the best antivirus software typically costs an arm and a leg. Additionally, antivirus is something most people truly consider getting.
If this sounds like you, you would definitely want to avoid getting free antivirus software. One reason for this is that free antivirus software only offers basic protection. Where as paid software can give you a whole suite of advanced protection, you only get antivirus protection and malware features with old updates.
This means that the free antivirus is only searching for older viruses and might be unable to identify new ones. This inability to remain current with the trends leaves your computer at an increased risk of infiltration.
Setting up an anti-virus on your device
- The process is quite simple. The first thing you need to do is use a browser to head to the best Linux antivirus. Our recommendation is Malwarebytes.
- Then find the download page or section and click on the download.
- You will be asked to select your operating system. In this instance, you will select Linux.
- The file will then begin downloading and once completed will be in your download folder.
- Open the download folder and click on the newly downloaded executable file.
- This will cause the antivirus to install onto your device.
- Once installation is complete, the program will open and the latest signatures will be downloaded.
Conclusion
Taking the time to find the best antivirus for Linux ubuntu can be quite challenging. Nevertheless, thanks to this article, you should have a much easier time finding the best software that suits your needs and answering the question what is the best antivirus for linux. Remember to note if you get features like real time protection, VPN services and even password managers.
