What are “Keyloggers”? Should I be worried and how do I remove them?

Viruses, Trojans and Root Kits tend to grab most of the Malware headlines but Keyloggers are far more dangerous. If you have a Keylogger installed on your computer then you should be worried - very worried.

What is a "Keylogger"? A keylogger is a very small piece of software that records every key you press. They can also record 'snapshots' or even videos of your computer screen.

Why are Keyloggers installed? I should say at this point that Keyloggers are not illegal. They can be used by employers to monitor how their employees are using their computers and also by parents for their children's safety. However, this question relates to Keyloggers that are installed illegally to enable the "bad guys" to capture your login and password details for example!

How do Keyloggers work? They work invisibly in the background and take your keyboard entries and send them via Internet using FTP.

How can you prevent Keyloggers? Most good anti-virus programs will detect most Keyloggers and remove them. However, as with all malware detection there is no way to be sure.

What can you do to protect yourself?

• Install good anti-virus software and keep it up-to-date.
• Run full virus scans regularly (at least once a month).
• Make sure that Windows is up-to-date.
• Don't install Pirated software (especially Pirated Windows!).
• Install anti-keylogger software (see below).

What is "Anti-Keylogger software"?

This is software that encrypts your keyboard entries before any software can see it. Any keylogger software will only see gibberish. I use "KeyScrambler".

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