Re: [Evolution] Virus scanning in Evo

[Greg Macek <it-guy mrichi com>]

I think while everybody makes true statements that Linux is not
susceptible to most or all the viruses out there, but the fact remains
that we could be recipients of annoying emails with windows virus
attachments in them. Having a anti-virus filter tied with Evo (for those
who don't have it on their mail server) would be nice to have, so we
wouldn't have to go through all those useless messages. 

Thankfully, we'll be implementing the anti-virus scanning on our office
mail server soon. This last wave has finally moved the project up on the
priority list. :) 

On Thu, 2003-08-21 at 16:59, Andre Truter wrote:
> On Thu, 2003-08-21 at 18:38, Fred Blaise wrote:
> > Linux not vulnerable to viruses... well this is new to me...
>
> This is an academic statement.
> Yes, it is possible to write a virus for Linux and Unix, but there are a
> few things that make them less of a threat.
>
> There have been a few concept virii written for Linux, to prove a point
> and there is even a Linux-virus HOWTO
> (http://www.lwfug.org/~abartoli/virus-writing-HOWTO/_html).
>
> The thing is that on Linux the probability that you will get infected by
> a virus through mail is very slim.  You will basically have to install
> the virus yourself on your system.
>
> Files are normally not executable in Linux. You have to make it
> executable and run it before it can do anything and then it will only
> affect your user account, not the system.
> Linux mail clients normally will not execute any attachments.
>
> You have a better change of being hit by a cracker that exploit some
> vulnerability on your system and gain access to your machine and install
> some worm or something on your machine, than getting a virus via e-mail.
>
> You should rather think of getting a firewall set up.
>
> > Let's say that virus makers target what's easier...
> Yes, writing a virus for Windows is *much* easier than Linux, because
> Linux does not cater for the environment that is needed by a virus to
> work.
>
> There have even been challenges with prize money to infect a Linux box
> with a virus and so far nobody had any success.
> http://www.roaringpenguin.com/mimedefang/anti-virus.php3
> http://www.silicon.com/news/500013/1/1028211.html
-- 
Greg Macek | Senior IT Manager
Marketing Resources, Inc.

it-guy mrichi com | http://www.mrichi.com