Keystroke Logger – What Is It And Why It Can Be Bad
A keystroke logger is a device that reads, retains, and logs a computer user’s keystrokes as the person uses the keyboard of the computer. Anyone who has ever taken a typing class in college is probably familiar with the types of software that enable the teachers to ascertain just how fast your typing speed is – the mode by which this information is generated uses a keystroke logger that measures the number of keystrokes you made as well as the accuracy with which you typed. Add to this fact that the average spy movie plot would not be able to advance without such technology telling the good guys what the bad guys are up to, and you can see how useful keystroke loggers are.
Very recently in the news, keystroke logging was touted as an answer to all those youngsters who go on the Internet without parental supervision and who have learned how to wipe the history function clean before turning the computer over to mom and dad again. These specifically designed loggers granted parents access to the websites their children were accessing as well as other things they might have typed in, such as in email.
Yet while there are most certainly some positive aspects to keystroke logging, there is also a host of less desirable application that may be connected with this software. For example, if a person were determined to hack into someone’s personal bank account, she or he could do so via the use of a keystroke logger. If the perpetrator were to use the software version of this tool, she or he would be able to install it on the victim’s computer simply by using a computer virus or maybe a Trojan horse. The latter is a harmless looking program that hides the keystroke logger. When the program is loaded, the other program is working in the background to capture the keystrokes of the victim. If the person were to log on to their personal bank account, type in passwords, bank information or any other kind of revealing data, the perpetrator will then be able to harvest this information and thereby steal the sensitive data to gain access to the victim’s bank account information. It is only a matter of time before she or he will make some use of this information.
As you can see, it is best to prevent any keystroke loggers access to your computer. To this end you will need to install – and regularly update – a well respected anti-spyware package on your computer. A firewall is another useful tool that can prevent malicious hackers from gaining access to your information in this manner. Yet no amount of anti-spyware or virus recognition software will protect you if it is not properly loaded, frequently updated, and if you fail to completely sweep your entire system regularly.
A somewhat more dubious mode of preventing keystroke logging is the use of programs that will remember your data – once you enter it – and which then will fill in this information whenever a form asks for it. Granted, you will not need to use the keyboard as much anymore and thus a keystroke logging program would not be able to detect your password or gain access to your credit card information, yet on the other hand you will have your private data entrusted to a program that may be vulnerable to attack in and of itself by viruses and other programs intent on stealing your personal data.
For those who are truly in need of some protection, there is the choice of altering the keyboard layout. This can be done through the Windows software by simply assigning alternate values to the various keys on the board. If you are the only user and willing to retrain yourself to use an altered keyboard, you will be able to confuse the keyboard loggers. On the other hand, if you have multiple users who rely on your computer then this is not necessarily the best choice to make.
