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The online world is filled with several types of malware and keyloggers are one of the dangerous malicious codes out there. It records all your keystrokes and sends it to the creator, the information transferred can include login credentials, banking details, internet searches, and private messages.
The Keylogger attacks have seen a sharp rise in the recent years and jumped into the spotlight of the cyber threat landscape. This article here explains about keyloggers, why are they so dangerous and how to steer clear from the keyloggers traps. So, keep reading…
Keylogger – What are they?
Keylogger is the singly coined word for Keystroke Logger words. The term Keylogger as it interprets is a malicious code created by a hacker with the intention of capturing what the user types on their system. Sometimes, it could also be a small device connected to your PC and keyboard. If your system is under a keylogger attack then install an effective malware removal program to get rid of the infection. Sometimes, the damages caused by a keylogger attack can be embarrassing and irreversible.
Find below the list of things that can be stolen from your PC or Laptop:
- Login Credentials
- Passwords
- CC/DB Number and Verification Code
- Entire Search History
- Entire Chat History
- Details of Documents Opened and Worked on
- Last but not the least, screenshots of your activity
On the contrary, keyloggers made it into the IT world for a different purpose and were not designed to steal private data. Today, corporates use it to check on employees, and more. Nevertheless, it is legal to use a monitoring software and it is readily available online!
How Keylogger Enters A PC?
As stated above, Keyloggers are not illegal. However, the necessity for installing the software makes the whole difference. For example, if an organization decides to monitor the productivity of its employees then it may pre-install the software on the laptop. In order to do so, the company may also alter its policy. But this may not be welcomed by the employees.
Besides the productive approach, on the darker side, it is widely used for illegal activities which can cause irreversible damage. It is unsafe to leave the computer unlocked as an intruder may install a keylogger swiftly when you are away and start to steal your data.
Similar to other types of malware, a keylogger spreads mostly through the Internet. It could get into a system hidden in a Trojan. Trojans act as payloads for such malware and they come in the form of useful programs, files, and tools. It gets installed on the computer/Laptop without the user’s consent. After successfully installing on the system, they run in the background and start recording all the keystrokes.
All the recorded information is encrypted and sent to a public message board. Hackers then start downloading it without being traced for their malicious activity. In most of the cases, a hacker is fortunate to steal all the private data until being identified.
To prevent such heinous acts, a powerful antivirus program can come in handy to tackle such unanticipated situations.
Detecting A Keylogger And Steps To Remove It
Basically, it is really tough to find out if a computer or laptop has keylogging software installed in it. That’s because it appears to be a legitimate program!
Here’s are few tips by which you can determine the presence of a keylogger on your computer/Laptop.
Check for keyloggers while running a process – open Windows Task Manager and see if there is any suspicious program running in the background. Pay good attention and if required take the assistance of a tech-savvy person to determine its presence on your computer.
Go through your firewall’s activity log to find anything suspicious. The firewall’s activity log can brings to light of the data that is going out and coming in on your computer as keyloggers tend to send your data to a remote location.
Besides that, it is a better idea to scan your computer with an antivirus software as it helps in identifying and removing a keylogger. This approach is very effective rather than manually going through a long list of apps and processes yourself.
Keylogger Hardware
It could be a very small gadget connected between your keyboard and PC. Sometimes, the hardware may appear to be an adaptor and look like normal hardware setup, so you’d hardly ever notice them if you didn’t know what to look for.
Make it a point to always check your keyboard especially using a rental computer.
Prevent and Protect Your PC From Keylogger Attacks
The best way to stay protected is to distance yourself from installing unknown or skeptic apps which may present an issue. Even though it might seem genuine, free and useful, never download from unsure sources.
Overall Thoughts
Have in place an effective antivirus program to prevent malicious apps from being automatically installed on your device. Since such installations happen without the user consent, antivirus programs are capable of handling it better. The Comodo antivirus is more capable of detecting and blocking malware. The antivirus can also help you in the malware removal process.
It is the ideal solution with built-in multi-layered defense platform, Comodo Antivirus provides complete protection against any malware threat including keyloggers. For more details our official page.
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