Issue #1 : Privacy Watch : Keyloggers |
Article is yet to be rated |
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| Author:
| ranok
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| Submitted: |
12-Sep-2004 11:50:12 |
| Imported From: |
zZine (original author: Ranok)
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| Keyloggers essentially record every keystroke made on the target computer. This is an introduction on keyloggers, both hardware and software, and how to defend yourself from them.
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Q. What are keyloggers?
A. Keyloggers essentially record every keystroke made on the target computer. These keystrokes may include: user names and passwords, credit card numbers and any sensitive information entered on the keyboard. There are two types of keyloggers, hardware and software. Hardware keyloggers are small devices which are somehow inserted between the keys and computer.
They can be a small tube inserted between the plug on the keyboard and the port on the computer. Hardware keyloggers contain a small flash memory chip which stores all the characters for later viewing by the attacker. Software keyloggers are programs that record all key presses. They run invisibly with out having an open window or an icon in the taskbar. Some can exist without even having a listed process. Software keyloggers can be set to store the log file, encrypt the log file or even e-mail the log file's content to the remote attacker's address. This means that once a keylogger is installed, the attacker can just sit back and wait for passwords, credit card numbers, and other sensitive data to arrive at his inbox.
Q. How can I detect and remove keyloggers?
A. To check for a hardware keylogger, look at the back or you computer for a small object in between you keyboard wire and the port on your computer, if you find such an object, remove it and destroy it. To search for a software keylogger, you need to download or buy an application to detect and remove keyloggers. Anti-Keylogger (www.anti-keylogger.com) is a popular program for this purpose. By following these steps and keeping informed, you can protect your sensitive data from being compromised.
Also, make sure that when you log in as Administrator, that you keep off-line. I recommend this because if a cracker compromises your computer while Administrator is logged in, the cracker can have a dangerous amount of control, such as downloading and installing keyloggers. It is better to make sure that keyloggers don't get installed in the first place as most keylogger detectors can show that the system is clean when in fact, it is riddled with keyloggers.
This article was originally published by CyberArmy.net in the CyberArmy Library.
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