Jack Wallen / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET
ZDNET key takeaways
If you share files on Linux, you should consider an AV tool.
If you happen upon questionable URLs, you can scan them first.
Lenspect is a free Linux tool for both of those purposes.
Linux, in and of itself, doesn't require anti-virus or anti-malware. However, if you share a lot of files with other people, you should probably consider a tool to detect if that file is malicious or not. Additionally, if you need to visit a website that could be suspect, you should have some means of testing it.
With Linux, you have options. For example, there's ClamAV, which has both a command-line and a GUI option. Of course, for some users new to Linux, ClamAV might be a bit intimidating. Fortunately, however, as good as it is, it's not the only option.
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One alternative option is the newest kid on the block, called Lenspect. It's developed by VirusTotal, and it makes checking files for viruses and malware very easy. The only caveat is that you have to have a VirusTotal API key (which can be had for free).
Let me show you how to install and use Lenspect, so you can ensure the files you share with others aren't dangerous.
Just FYI: VirusTotal is owned by Chronicle, a subsidiary of Google. It was created by the Spanish security company Hispasec Sistemas and was acquired by Google in 2012. So, if you aren't a big fan of Google, this tool might not be for you.
Installing Lenspect
What you'll need: The only things you'll need for this are a Linux distribution that supports Flatpak (which is most of them) and your VirusTotal API key.
Installing Lenspect is very simple. Here's how.
1. Open a terminal window or your desktop's app store If your distribution's app store has Flatpak support baked in, you can open it, search for Lenspect, and install it with a single click. If your app store doesn't have Flatpak baked in, you'll need to use the command line, so open your terminal app. Show more
2. Install Lenspect To install Lenspect from the terminal window, issue the following command: Show more
flatpak install flathub io.github.vmkspv.lenspect
Answer the questions (just type y for each) and allow the installation to finish. Once it's finished, you can close the terminal window (or the app store).
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Getting your API key
To get a VirusTotal API key, you have to first sign up for a (free) account from the Join Us page. Once you sign up, you'll receive an email with a link to verify your account. After verification, log in to your account and click the drop-down at the top right (you'll see your name). From the drop-down menu, click API Key.
Your VirusTotal API key is easy to locate. Jack Wallen/ZDNET
On the resulting page, you'll see a blurred-out API key. Click the copy icon to the right of the key and then paste it into a file.
Using Lenspect
Open Lenspect and you'll see a spot for your API key. Paste your key into that text area, and that's all there is to it.
Your API key goes here. Jack Wallen/ZDNET
To scan a file, click the No File Section and then navigate (via the file picker) to the file you want to scan. Once you select the file, click Start Scan and allow Lensspect to do its thing.
I downloaded the infamous Eicar file (which is a sample malicious file) and ran the scan. When the scan was complete, Lenspect successfully detected the malicious code.
Lenspect successfully detected the Eicar file. Jack Wallen/ZDNET
One thing to keep in mind is that Lenspect is a file scanner, not a system scanner, so there isn't an automated option.
You can also run a scan on a URL to see if a site contains malicious content. That feature alone is worth the time to install Lenspect.
And that, my friends, is all there is to installing and using the VirusTotal Lenspect file scanner.
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