Can AVG keep FreeBSD virus-free?

Angus Kidman
Tuesday, 21 November 2006 02:28

Your IT - Home IT

Grisoft's launch of two new versions of its AVG security tools for open source operating systems Linux and FreeBSD suggests that there's nowhere safe to hide from computer viruses anymore.

Grisoft, which markets its AVG products through the relatively unusual tactic of offering free versions for consumers, rather than raking in annual subscription fees from absolutely everybody, has announced that version 7.5 of AVG for use on servers has been released for both Linux and FreeBSD enthusiasts.

While Linux has long been a supported platform, this is the first time that AVG has offered a product specifically tailored to the venerable FreeBSD OS.

Company officials argue that such operating systems are increasingly being used by small businesses to reduce their IT costs, making it viable to launch paid-for security software on those platforms.

"AVG for Linux and FreeBSD editions complement this strategy, while making sure the heterogeneous environment remains secure without impacting the system resources," AVG global security strategist Larry Bridwell said in a statement announcing the new product.

While the operating systems may be free, the protection isn't, since AVG's free versions are limited to private consumer use (though there is a free version available for single Linux users).

AVG's shift from version 7.1 to 7.5 has not been without controversy. While it is possible for users of the free version to upgrade directly to version 7.5, Grisoft's marketing has centred on getting customers to upgrade to the full paid version instead.

The one platform which AVG has so far ignored is the Mac. However, with a similar Unix-derived code base underpinning Mac OS X, Linux and FreeBSD, producing a ported version presumably wouldn't be too difficult once the inevitable widespread Mac virus appears.