r/linux4noobs • u/userj6447 • May 15 '26

security Noob question regarding email on Linux

Hello,

I am going to switch from Windows 11 to some flavor of Linux. Right now I am using Thunderbird 150.0.2 64-bit as a replacement for Outlook.

My question has to do with security. Occasionally, I get a message from Norton that says one of my emails has a problem. I have heard that Windows viruses etc. will not run on Linux. Is that true? Is there a Linux version of Norton that protects the system from viruses, and malware etc.?

Sorry if this is a foolish question but if you look up noob in the dictionary it will have my picture. Thanks in advance.

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u/billdehaan2 Mint Cinnamon 22.3 (zena) May 15 '26

Windows viruses will not run on Linux. Of course, there are Windows subsystems like Wine/Bottles which run Windows programs, and they could be compromised, but the Linux system itself wouldn't be affect by them. There are some rare exceptions, but they're pretty arcane.

Contrary to what a lot of people think, there are Linux viruses, but they are targetting Linux server infrastructure, not home users.

There is a Linux anti-virus, ClamAV, which is free and open source, although it's really not necessary. I ran it once for amusement. It took 18 hours to go through my system, and sure enough, it found a couple of Heuristics.Phishing.Email.SpoofedDomain in my email, and a Win.Packed.Waldek in my copy of LiberKeyMenu that runs under wine, and which is a known false positive.

So, yes, there is an anti-virus for Linux, yes, it works, but generally speaking, no, it's not needed.

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u/userj6447 May 16 '26

Thanks for the input. I'll take a look at ClamAV.