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Do i need a antivirus when i use software like Wine and Play On Linux ? I play Poker Stars and other games. OS Ubuntu 18.04.2

tt177
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    No, you don't. This is not intended as an answer, at best it's a short one. –  May 28 '19 at 16:46
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    @GabrielaGarcia you should keep in mind that there ARE viruses that run properly in Wine, and can have other side effects where an antivirus would be a good thing to have. I would not blindly say "No you don't need an antivirus" though, especially when Wine is at play. – Thomas Ward May 28 '19 at 16:49
  • This ^^^ opinion is certainly more valuable than mine. –  May 28 '19 at 16:49
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    Also keep in mind that YOU are the first line of defense – You'reAGitForNotUsingGit May 28 '19 at 17:01

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The correct answer to this question is "It Depends". We are not Subject Matter Experts on all the games or applications you use, but as an IT Security professional I can give you a little bit of insight into here, though ultimately it's up to you to determine whether you believe you are "at risk" and need an Antivirus. (Though I recommend you go with one, even if it's just to regularly scan your system weekly or such, it's ultimately Your Choice whether you take that step.)

There are viruses which in the past have had effects on systems beyond just Wine and PoL. These viruses are rare but viruses which do not need full Windows admin rights can do damage, and therefore Wine on its own should not be considered "virus proof".

If you intend to use Wine and PoL with web applications like Poker Stars or potentially unvetted and unsecured software you should probably have some type of AV protection in play regularly doing scanning, however there is not any one guarantee about 'good antivirus solutions' like this.

If all you do is one or two games, and not anything else, your risk of getting hit by Wine-runnable viruses remains low. However, if you run a lot of Windows-designed applications and not all of them are from trusted sources, your risk is higher.

Whether you use an antivirus or not is your own choice, and should be decided on your assessment of risk to your system or data. If you do choose to go for an Antivirus program in your environment, you should probably take a look at this question for what's available.

Thomas Ward
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  • If he wants to increase security, he also could dockerize Wine: https://askubuntu.com/questions/556416/dockerizing-a-wine-application – MelcomX May 28 '19 at 19:03