Is it possible for Ubuntu to have spyware, and is there any software to check for it?

Question

Not that I have, this is a general query.

Answer 1

Read this thread:



http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/linux-newbie/31440-linux-spyware-free.html



Most good security companies make a Linux version of their antivirus. It never hurt to scan, but there's no need to have an antivirus running at all times. You probably should run a firewall, though.

Answer 2

2

Answer 3

Probably not in the typical sense. A rootkit might be possible, one that replaces your keyboard driver with one that logs your keystrokes and then sends them somewhere. But even on Ubuntu, you don't know what software a user is going to use, so it can be hard to find an attack venue. For instance, probably quite a few users use Epiphany instead of Firefox, because it integrates better.

Answer 4

Avoiding malware is why a lot of people switch to Ubuntu in the first place. Only Windows is dumb enough to not have proper controls to protect you from stuff that just installs itself all by itself.

Answer 5

No, I don't think there r any existing spyware for linux.