Security & Linux

[#1]

The Bank's insist that anti virus programs are used when banking on line however I only use Linux when on line and  install updates as they become available but am I leaving myself open to fraud ? For example could the bank refuse to any money taken from my account as I was not using anti virus software.

Anyone else use Linux for internet banking ?

I only access my account when using my home broadband.

[#2 · Accepted solution]

Most banks will only acknowledge two desktop platforms at best OSX and Windows, Linux isn't probably on their radar because its seen as a niche OS used by a minority of users.

To comply with your bank's requirement, install a Linux AV program, they are some available and the ones I've used are less embedded in the OS than the Windows ones. Just download them from your favourite package manager for your distro

See this link for some info on Linux AV Programs: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Antivirus its for Ubuntu but it will give you an idea of what's out there.

To avoid paying out in the event of fraud, I'm guessing that the bank would have to prove you had been negligent and let malicious software onto your Linux machine (e.g. Key logger or the like) and this caused the fraud or you'd gone onto a Phishing website that would have been picked up as dodgy by a Windows AV program scanning incoming emails.

[#3]

Thanks for the link, some very useful info.

[#4]

I've got online Banking, online savings with various organisations, an online share dealing account and Linux works perfectly well on all of them.

I've never loaded any anti-virus, ever. I've never even encountered a virus.

You probably need anti-virus on low-security zones such as Windows, though.

[#5]

So far this topic has been about banks requiring an anti-virus solution on your desktop computer,  but do the banks have similar requirements for their smartphone banking 'apps' ? - as I doubt whether many smartphone users have an up-to-date AV program installed, let alone whether the phone's OS is kept patched with the latest updates.

[#6]

Actually, which Bank(s) requires the use of an anti-virus program?

If anti-virus is all that stands between you & your wallet, you are using the wrong Bank.
Hopefully, all connections are properly encrypted, end-to-end.