Thus spake Kikta LCpl Jason M ([EMAIL PROTECTED]):
> This may be a stupid question, but are there any anti-virus programs
> avalible for Linux? I've looked but never found any and never seem to even
> hear mention of any. Is it necessary? If not, why? Thanks.
Viruses are *much* harder to write for properly written OSes, i.e
those in which there is protection for the boot sector, OS files etc.
In order to infect a linux system you'd basically have to be running
as root, which sensible people only do when absolutely necessary.
Given that currently the largest (and fastest-growing) group of
viruses are Word macro viruses, this is an excellent reason for
hoping that MS never port Word to linux, although even then you;d
probably only be able to infect your own userid.
Which is not to say that linux viruses are impossible, but there is
little incentive to produce one when you know that 99% of systems
would not get caught. And 99% of MS systems would...:-)
--
|Deryk Barker, Computer Science Dept. | Music does not have to be understood|
|Camosun College, Victoria, BC, Canada| It has to be listened to. |
|email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] | |
|phone: +1 250 370 4452 | Hermann Scherchen. |
