Keylogger is the short form for “Keystroke logger” and it is a monitoring software or hardware designed to record what you write. It could be either a program on your computer or a hardware connected to your PC and keyboard, which keeps track of everything you have been typing. This software allows hackers to steal valuable information like:
- Usernames and passwords
- Credit card number and verification code
- your entire chat history
- a list of the websites you have visited
- applications you have used
- documents you have opened
- screenshots of your activity
However, keyloggers were not originally intended for stealing any personal data. In fact, monitoring software is legal and widely available online. Keyloggers can be used by the companies to check up on employees, by your spouse looking to catch their partners cheating, and even by parents who want to track the activities of their kids.
How does a keylogger get on your PC?
Keyloggers are not illegal — however, in the wrong hands, keyloggers can do a lot of damage. If are in the habit of leaving your personal computer unlocked at home, cafe, or at workplace anyone who happens to be nearby can quickly install a keylogger when you are not looking, and use it to steal your data. Like the other malware, keylogging software spreads mostly via the Internet, often as part of Trojans. Trojans are the programs disguised as useful tools, which in reality contain malware that gets installed on your computer without your knowledge. Once installed, keyloggers run in the background, keeping an eye on all your keystrokes. The stolen information is usually encrypted and sent to a public message board, from where the hackers can download it without being tracked down.
How to detect and remove keyloggers?
It is quite difficult to find out if you have keylogging software on your PC, because it looks like you are running a legit program. Here’s how you can detect keyloggers on your system: –
- Look for keyloggers in your running processes – First, open the Windows Task Manager and look for anything suspicious. This will give you a complete overview of apps running on your computer. It only works if you are tech-savvy enough to recognize the keylogger.
- Check the activity log of your firewall for anything suspicious – You can use a firewall to check and control what goes in and out of your computer. Keyloggers send your data to a remote location, but an Internet connection is needed to do that, so everything sent out will show up in your firewall’s activity log.
- Scan and remove keyloggers with an antivirus – Rather than going through a long list of apps manually and processes yourself, you can scan your computer with any good antivirus or a reliable keylogger detection app. This is the quickest and easiest way to detect and remove suspicious programs on your computer.
Now, you might have question what about keylogging hardware? Keylogging hardware is the small gadget connected between your keyboard and your PC. It often look like adaptors and appear to be part of the normal hardware setup, so you would hardly ever notice them if you didn’t know what to look for. Make sure to check your keyboard, especially when you are using a public computer, and remove any suspicious-looking objects.
How to protect your system from keyloggers?
The best and the easiest way to protect yourself from keyloggers is to stay away from the untrusted apps on the Internet. They might seem useful, and they are probably even free, but unless they come from a reliable source you should avoid installing them.
Here’s how you can keep your PC keylogger-free: –
- Always use a reliable antivirus to prevent suspicious apps from being installed on your computer without your knowledge. There are some popular antivirus that detects and blocks malware in real-time and protects you from the latest threats.
- You can set up Firewalls to block unauthorized apps from accessing the Internet.
- Always lock your PC. Hopefully, no one in your household and your friend has any trust issues, but just in case, lock your PC when you’re not there. Doing so, no one can get access to your computer when you’re not looking.
- Always be careful on public or shared computers. Avoid accessing your banking, email, or social media accounts from public or shared computers, and don’t send any sensitive information via chat either. It’s also recommended to check for keylogging hardware, too.
- You can also use a reliable password manager to access your accounts quickly and safely, without having to type in your details every time. In this way, keyloggers won’t be able to steal your login info.
We hope that this article has helped you understand how keyloggers work, why they’re dangerous, and how to protect your personal data. The more you learn about malware by My Customer Service and how it gets on your computer, the easier it is to stay safe and protected.