Keyloggers are a dangerous form of a malware that hackers often use to get people’s data. You will want to know what keyloggers are so that you can avoid them.
Surfing the Internet can be quite risky if you don’t understand all of the threats that you face. Keyloggers are one of the biggest cybersecurity threats. A hacker can easily install a keylogger on your system and steal your most sensitive information. You need to understand the dangers that keyloggers pose so that you can remove them from your computer or mobile device.
What Are Keyloggers?
A keylogger is a nasty type of malware that record every keystroke on an infected system. A hacker can remotely install a keylogger on your system and have the information sent to their email address or Dropbox folder. One hacker recently used keyloggers to gain access to 2 million passwords. They can use this information to record:
- Credit card transactions
- Bank account information
- Passwords for emails and social networking accounts
- Internet search activity
- Anything related to your work
As you can see, keyloggers are a serious threat to cybersecurity. You will need to know if one is installed on your machine so that you can have it removed as soon as possible. You will never be able to recover information that has been sent to a hacker. Changing all of your passwords, credit cards and other sensitive information will be a real hassle once you realize that your data has been compromised.
How to Identify Keyloggers
Keyloggers can be difficult to detect. Malware developers often disguise them as harmless programs so that they won’t be identified by anti-malware software.
Fortunately, it is still possible to identify keyloggers on your machine if you know what steps to take. Here are some of the things that you will want to consider.
Monitor Programs that are Running
You will need to pay close attention to the programs that are running. Look at your Task Manager to see if there are any programs that you don’t recognize. Some types of malware may not appear on your Task Manager, so you should also look at the programs that are running in your root directory as well.
You will be able to find all programs that are running on your system at any given time. You should be able to spot any keyloggers and have them removed from your computer.
Use Some Keylogger Identification Tools
There are a number of great software programs to identify keyloggers. Some programs worth looking at include:
- SpyReveal Keylogger Detector
- Keylogger Detector
- Max Spyware Detector
You may want to consider buying one of these programs if you fear that a keylogger has been installed on your computer. You should be able to identify any keylogger if you buy a recent version of one of these programs. You will want to update these programs regularly to identify the newest keyloggers.
Be Aware of Hardware Keyloggers
Most people have tunnel vision when protecting themselves from malware. They believe that malware is a malicious software program that can infect their computer. This is the most common type of malware to be concerned about, but you should also be aware of hardware security threats as well.
Some keyloggers are USB sticks or other devices that are installed into your computer. Many people don’t even think about looking for them. You will want to evaluate all of your ports and see if there are any unusual devices attached to your system.
Use Existing Malware Protection Software
Malware protection software isn’t always the best line of defense against keyloggers, but they are still worth using. You may not have the time to scan your root directory every day or the budget to buy a keylogger protection software.
If you aren’t overly worried about keyloggers then running a standard malware protection tool could be sufficient. Make sure that you use a program that offers real time protection and update it regularly.
About the author: Kalen Smith is an Internet entrepreneur. He has found that security is a serious problem in this day and age and shares cybersecurity tips with other marketers.
