When it comes to protecting your Linux server against malware, one of two products are often used: Immunify360 and cPGuard.

Immunify360 is a “comprehensive security suite for Linux web servers” and includes “Antivirus, Firewall, WAF, PHP Security Layer, Patch Management, Domain Reputation with easy UI and advanced automation.”  cPGuard is the “best security solution for your Linux web hosting server” and includes “Antivirus, Automatic malware cleanup, WAF, CMS vulnerabilities and threat mitigation, Firewall with Abusive IP blocklist (IPDB), Domain & IP reputation and more with a single portal/UI for all your servers.”

There’s a good chance if you go sign up for shared or reseller hosting, one of the features the provider is going to tout is protection by one of these two systems.  You can also buy your own license.

Recently, LowEndTalk Webrob posted real world experiences with each.  The conclusion?

Over the past few months, I’ve observed that cPGuard performs exceptionally well in terms of malware protection, defending against bot attacks, and providing real-time security. On the other hand, while Imunify360 is a decent security solution, I’ve noticed a concerning pattern: it often allows malware to insert files into the website and inject malicious code into existing files. Imunify360 attempts to mitigate this by turning the inserted files into 0KB and removing the malicious code, but it doesn’t always succeed. Sometimes, this process inadvertently removes essential code, which can break the site.

In contrast, my blogs protected by cPGuard have never experienced code injections or the creation of malware-generated PHP files. These sites remain stable and unaffected by malware, whereas the blogs secured with Imunify360 frequently face issues and downtime.

Other users and providers have also chimed in, some with different conclusions.

Which product do you rely on for protection?  What’s your experience?  Please let us know in the thread!

raindog308

Raindog308 is a longtime LowEndTalk community administrator, technical writer, and self-described techno polymath. With deep roots in the *nix world, he has a passion for systems both modern and vintage, ranging from Unix, Perl, Python, and Golang to shell scripting and mainframe-era operating systems like MVS. He’s equally comfortable with relational database systems, having spent years working with Oracle, PostgreSQL, and MySQL.

As an avid user of LowEndBox providers, Raindog runs an empire of LEBs, from tiny boxes for VPNs, to mid-sized instances for application hosting, and heavyweight servers for data storage and complex databases. He brings both technical rigor and real-world experience to every piece he writes.

Beyond the command line, Raindog is a lover of German Shepherds, high-quality knives, target shooting, theology, tabletop RPGs, and hiking in deep, quiet forests.

His goal with every article is to help users, from beginners to seasoned sysadmins, get more value, performance, and enjoyment out of their infrastructure.

You can find him daily in the forums at LowEndTalk under the handle @raindog308.