Linux servers or desktops residing anywhere within the enterprise must be immunized against viruses. Kaspersky Lab, a leader in virus alerting and research, has thrown its hat into the anti-virus software ring amid fierce competition. While Kaspersky's market performance in the U.S. remains unproven, enterprises must reinforce the need for Linux security in general.

Movements in the Linux Anti-Virus Market

Kaspersky Lab recently released Anti-Virus version 5.5 for the North American market. Version 5.5 is designed to protect e-mail servers, file servers, and workstations running on Linux, FreeBSD, and OpenBSD operating systems. This launch comes late for the U.S., since version 5.5 has been sold in Europe for six years already. While Linux is more prevalent in Europe than North America, Kaspersky is using 5.5 as an opportunity to further expand into what it sees as a growing market.

Analysis