Keylogger What is it ?, Tool or Malicious Software
The dangers of keyloggers and how to avoid them: Security tips to protect your privacy
Recommended keyloggers for legal use:
What is a Keylogger?
To clarify that it is a Keylogger we can simply say that it is a type of software or hardwaree which is used to record and store keystrokes, it is also known as keystroke logging And this malware saves everything that a user types on the computer or on the mobile phone.
Although the common thing is for a keylogger to store the keystrokes, there are also some capable of taking screenshots or doing a more committed follow-up. There are several parental control apps that take screenshots, like Kaspersky Safe Kids, Qustodio y Norton family, this to name a few in this post and in case you want to monitor the activity of your children on the Internet.
Depending on the keylogger, the recorded activity can be consulted from the same computer or from another, thus controlling everything that has been done. There are also companies dedicated to offering this type of malware and they allow you to check it remotely in their control panel from any device.
Keyloggers are commonly a spyware that is used legally for security purposes. parental control or to control company personnel, although unfortunately it is also often used for criminal purposes. These illegal purposes are to capture users' confidential information without their permission or consent. For example, use it to hacking your partner would be a criminal end if he/she was not aware or had not given his/her consent for you to have access to that type of information. They were designed to stay hidden and go unnoticed. That is why they are rarely detected, because operationally it is not harmful to the equipment; it does not slow it down, it does not take up a lot of space and it does not interfere with the normal functioning of the operating system.
Here you can know the free and paid programs that you can use to detect and remove a Keylogger inside your PC.
How many types of Keylogger can we find?
There are several types of keyloggers (keystroke loggers), each with its own characteristics and utilities. Some of the more common types include:
- Software Keylogger: This type of keylogger is installed on a device and runs in the background to record all keystrokes. It can be downloaded and run on a device like a normal program.
- hardware keylogger: This type of keylogger physically connects to a device, either through a USB port or directly to the keyboard, to record keystrokes.
- remote keylogger: This type of keylogger is installed on a device and configured to send the recorded keystrokes to a remote email address or server.
- spyware keylogger: This type of keylogger is installed on a device as a form of malicious software, with the aim of stealing personal or business information.
- firmware keylogger: This type of keylogger is a firmware that is installed on the keyboard, it can be very difficult to detect and uninstall.
It is important to mention that the unauthorized use of keyloggers is illegal in many countries and can be considered a violation of privacy, as well as being used for malicious activities. It is important to use them only for legal purposes and with prior authorization.
When did the first ever Keylogger appear?
Almost nothing is known about its history, it is believed that it was the Russians during the cold war who created this tool. Others claim that it was first used to rob a bank, with a virus known as Backdoor Coreflood.
In 2005, a Florida businessman sued Bank of America after they stole $ 90.000 from his bank account. The investigation showed that the businessman's computer had been infected with the aforementioned virus, Backdoor Coreflood. Because you conducted your banking transactions over the internet, cybercriminals obtained all of your confidential information.
How harmful can it be?
Seriously damaging, especially if you don't know that you have a Keylogger installed on your computer. If you don't know that your computer keyboard is recording everything you type, you can reveal passwords, credit card numbers, bank accounts, and even your private life could be in jeopardy.
Although it is true that there are programs of this type for legal use, when used for criminal purposes, they are considered a type of spyware-type malware. These have evolved over time; It no longer only has its basic keystroke function, but it also takes screenshots; allows you to configure which user is going to be monitored in case the computer has several of them; It keeps a list of all the programs executed, all copy-paste from the clipboard, web pages visited with date and time, it can be configured to send all these files by e-mail.
How to create a Keylogger?
Creating a keylogger is easier than it seems, you can create a simple one even with little programming knowledge. Remember not to use it with malicious intentions, as you may be committing a serious crime that can cause you legal problems, but we have already talked about this in another article. we teach to create a local keylogger in 3 minutes to test this well-known hacking method. If you are the type of curious people, and you want to satiate your academic knowledge about computer security, check out the following tutorial:
What exactly does a Keylogger store?
Its functionality has been greatly expanded, to the point of being able to record calls, control the camera and operate the mobile microphone. There are 2 types of Keylogger:
- At the software level, this is installed on the device and is divided into three subcategories:
- Kernel: It lives in the core of your computer, known under the name of Kernel, hidden inside the operating system, making it almost impossible to be detected. Their development is normally done by an expert hacker in the field, so they are not very common.
- FIRE: It takes advantage of Windows API functions to save all the keystrokes that the user has generated in a separate file. These files are usually very easy to recover, as they are mostly kept in a notepad.
- Memory injection: These Keyloggers alter the memory tables, by making this change the program can avoid Windows account control.
- Hardware level keylogger, they do not need to install any software on the operating system to run. These are its subcategories:
- Based on Firmware: The logger stores each click on the computer, however, the cybercriminal must have access to the computer to retrieve the information.
- keyboard hardware: To record the events, it connects with the keyboard and some input port on the computer. They are known under the name 'KeyGrabber', they will be found exactly in the port either USB or PS2 of the input device.
- Wireless Keyboard Sniffers: They are used for both the mouse and the wireless keyboards, they transmit all the information clicked and transcribed; commonly all this information is encrypted, but he is able to decrypt it.
Is it illegal to use Keylogger?
To control your children on the internet
It is usually legitimate and legal to use a keylogger or parental control application to monitor your children's activity on the computer, as long as it is with the intention of protecting their online security and in case they are not mature enough to give consent . If they are old enough, they must give explicit consent and know that they have monitoring software.
For instance. In Spain, in the case of not having the consent for the intrusion into the privacy of a person, it would be legitimate to break the privacy if:
- You have the access codes of your child's account without the need to use hacking methods.
- You suspect that your child is the victim of a crime.
Download Recommended Keylogger to do parental control legally:
To control your workers
In some countries it is legal to use a keylogger to monitor the work of employees of a company as long as they are aware of it. Some of these programs that take screenshots of workers are Keylogger Spy Monitor, Spyrix Keylogger, Elite Keylogger, Ardamax Keylogger and Refog Keylogger.
The legality of keyloggers can be quite questionable and will depend on each country, so we advise you to inform yourself about it.
We leave you the direct link to the specification for Spain and Mexico.
On the other hand, a Keylogger will always be illegal when used for criminal acts such as theft of passwords and confidential information.
How is a Keylogger implanted from the world of hacking?
Many of the users are affected by a Keylogger in different ways, the most common being via emails (phishing emails) with an attached item containing the threat. A Keylogger can be present on a USB device, a compromised website, among others.
If you receive a “happy holidays” Christmas card ignore it, it is a “trojan” and what you will probably receive is “happy malware” as cybercriminals take advantage of the holiday season to spread viruses, fraud and malware. After clicking on a link or opening an attachment, you allow the Keylogger to be installed on your computer or mobile device giving access to your private information. The fact is that hackers with extensive experience in this type of malware are able to disguise the keylogger as if it were a PDF, Word and even JPG or other widely used formats. For this reason, we emphasize that do not open content that you have not requested.
It should be noted that, if your computer is on a shared network, it is easier gain access to it and infect it. You should not enter confidential information, bank accounts and credit cards in this type of equipment.
How does a Trojan spread?
The most common way of spreading is via the internet, they use very attractive tools to induce you to download the malicious virus for their criminal purposes. Here are the 4 most common Trojans:
- Download cracked files, illegal software downloads may contain a hidden threat.
- Free softwarePlease do not download free applications before verifying that the website is trustworthy, these downloads represent a great risk.
- phishing, This is the most common form of a Trojan attack to infect devices through e-mails, the attackers create great clones of companies, encouraging the victim to click on the link or download attachments.
- Suspicious banners, he is very attentive to the banners they offer suspicious promotions, may be infected with the virus.
To avoid being a victim of this type of virus, we recommend that you read the following article: How to identify a Phishing virus?
How do I delete a Keylogger?
The simplest Keyloggers, installed and powered by the API, are relatively easy to remove. However, there are others that are installed as a legitimate program, so when using an antivirus or a anti-malware not se they manage to detect and they go completely unnoticed, sometimes even disguised as operating system drivers.
Therefore, if you suspect that you are being watched by a Keylogger, it is best to get a antimalware, there are endless of them; In case this does not work for you, you can search for it using the Windows task manager. You should carefully review the active processes that your pc contains until you find any strange ones that you do not recognize.