The download link contains a unique key (associated with your email address), so you can’t just copy/paste it and use the wget command to pull the file to the server. This can get a bit tricky, if your server is GUI-less. Eventually you will find yourself with a download link. In order to get the software, you must go through the process of registering your email address. SEE: Securing Linux policy (Tech Pro Research) Getting the software You must still be diligent with your administration duties. To that end, don’t think adding a piece of antivirus will be your end-all security measure for your Linux server. Connected to the internet or not, a server or desktop can be compromised. Remember, no server (regardless of platform) is 100% safe. I want to walk you through the process of installing this piece of software, so you can rest assured (albeit slightly) that your server is less likely to contain malicious code.
The tool can run in the background or a scan can be manually issued. Sophos antivirus for Linux is a free, command line-only, real-time scanner for your server and desktop. How do you avoid that on a Linux server? You install a real-time antivirus/antimalware solution like Sophos. Although the platform itself may not be directly affected, if that server happens to dish out files to users (via Samba, SSHFS, NFS, etc.), then the users who are connected could easily fall victim to the malicious files. You might think your Linux server is invulnerable to malicious code.
Here's how to install and configure Sophos AV on your Linux server.
If you have a Linux server that serves up files to users on your network, you might need a bit of extra protection. How to install Sophos antivirus on a Linux server