Keyloggers: How To Stay Protected?

Keyloggers are a type of software and hardware which can record your keyboard strokes. Many users are unaware of keyloggers.

Keyloggers are used by organizations to keep a check on their employees, but much more frequently by criminals to gain victim’s personal information and use it for malicious reasons.

They are usually in the form of software. Keyloggers are spyware which are downloaded on user’s system from different sources. Sometimes, while browsing the Internet, users click on ads or download a file from untrusted source, which leads to a malicious program being installed on their system. These programs record every keystroke and further send them to the criminals.

There are different ways to safeguard your system from keylogger. These will increase security of your system.

See Also: All you need to know about Session Replay

• Always Keep Your Firewall Enabled Firewall is important line of defense, it will notify about all the inbound and outbound connection. Keylogger will transmit all the information it has collected to third party. Detecting Keylogger through network monitoring is near to impossible task as it takes very less bandwidth to transmit data.
  However, firewall will notify and even block internet for certain program if it is attempting to send data.
• Always Use Effective Security Software: Keeping effective security program will keep your system safe. Good security software will warn you about incoming threat and will remove it. Also make sure to update it regularly as, new threat definitions are necessary for removing the threat.
• Use Password Manager: Keyloggers are solely based on the keystrokes typed. Keyloggers are a very simple program, they do not use high bandwidth so they are hard to detect.If you have not pressed any keys any on the keyboard, Keylogger will not detect any keystrokes. Therefore, it is advisable to use password manager, password manager will save your information so that you do not have to type it again and again.
• Always Keep Software in Your Device Updated: Software manufacturers continuously release security patches. Therefore, all software on your device with OS should be updated regularly.
  These patches are necessary, as after developing the software some exploits are left. Criminals use these exploits to install Keylogger on to user’s PC.
  Therefore, we should always keep our system updated.
• Keep Changing Your Password: Do not use same password for a long time. Many times, Keylogger will take some time to transmit the information, so if your password is compromised you have some time to change your password.
• Use Virtual Machine: Using virtual machine will keep Keyloggers in closed environment and keep your main system away from harm.
• Always Try to Use On-Screen Keyboard: Mouse clicks are not captured by Keyloggers. Keyloggers will only record keystrokes. Therefore, using on-screen keyboard will make keyloggers incompetent. It is not possible to use on-screen keyboard every time because it is time consuming task to click on different keys. However, you can use it when entering confidential information.

 

Next Read: Do I Need an Antivirus Program for My Mac?

This information will help you fight Keyloggers. And keep your system safe. Although there is never a 100% surety about safety, however, these points if followed will secure your system to much extent that it will be very hard to hack your system.