Did you know that the keys that you press on your keyboard can be recorded? You or a third party can review just about anything you typed using your keyboard by using a keylogger. This is a special hardware or software installed on your computer.
A keylogger can be used for both legitimate and illegitimate purposes. Work productivity analysis, network troubleshooting and law enforcement applications are some of the ways a keylogger is used legally. Unfortunately, there are individuals who use keyloggers to spy on computer users and use the information for illegal activities.
Hardware keylogger
You can check your pc for the presence of an actual keylogging device. This device is plugged into the keyboard port of your pc. It is very easy to see visually. But, software security programs cannot detect this device. Remove the keylogger device if you don’t want your keystrokes captured.
Hardware keyloggers can also be installed or soldered directly onto the circuit board inside the keyboard. You will have to disassemble the keyboard to find out if you have this type of keylogger. Access to the keystrokes captured by the key logger can be viewed via a word processing program. You will have to input the right password to access the keylogger menu.
Software keylogger
There are a number of available key logger programs online. Some computer malware, spyware and viruses may have the ability to install a software keylogger. Unscrupulous individuals usually try to capture your username and password to gain access to your online bank accounts and other financial records. Checking for a software keylogger on your pc involves the following.
* Install a highly-rated anti-virus program as well as a good anti-spyware program. These can be purchased online or from a computer retail store. Choose programs that are guaranteed to catch keyloggers on your PC. Visit computer review sites to find out which programs can do the best job of catching keyloggers.
* Run your anti-virus and anti-spyware programs. Let these programs protect your PC by scanning your computer as well as your external hard drives and data disks. Make sure the viruses and other malicious code that these programs find are deleted or quarantined. You should set your anti-virus and spyware programs to run automatically the same day each week.
* Update your anti-virus programs regularly. The virus definitions list should always be current or updated. Viruses, spyware and malware are created everyday by malevolent individuals. Not having an updated program opens up your computer to attacks. You can set your anti-virus program to update the virus definitions daily.
* Run a task manager. This program checks what programs or processes are currently running. Some third party task managers even provide online information regarding the processes that are going on. If you find processes that are unfamiliar, look it up online and find out what it does. You may just catch a keylogger at work.
* Install a firewall. Although a firewall may not be able to fully protect you from keyloggers, it will at least warn you when a program is sending data from your PC to the internet. Then you can run your anti-virus or anti-spyware program. Check if your operating system or virus program has a firewall option. Otherwise, you can download and install one from the Internet.
Keyloggers can both be used for good and bad. If you don’t want your keystrokes logged, then make sure that there is no keylogger on your computer. Hardware keyloggers are easy to find except when they are wired into the keyboard. Software keyloggers can be detected by anti-virus and anti-spyware programs.
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