Home
>
Software
>
Separate Anti-Keylogging Protection: Who Needs it Most?

Separate Anti-Keylogging Protection: Who Needs it Most?

If there still are few unprotected computers left, I haven't seen any. Every emerging threat causes means of defense to appear. Anti-viruses and firewalls were the first. Now most computers have also an anti-spy program installed. More and more often experts say that some computers need autonomous anti-keylogging protection as well.

Or do they? Isn't a separate anti-keylogger on a PC a little too much? Can a user do without it--why so much attention to a particular type of what is usually called spyware? Well, the threat is extremely serious, that's why.

Information is not a liquid, but, unfortunately, it tends to leak quite the same way. First something trickles out, then?Whole businesses may be washed away in no time; and the damage which data leak cause to state and government institutions can be terrifying. Data leakage is in a way comparable with a break of a dam, with one clear-cut distinction that makes all the difference. There is also another factor- information value. A tiny drop of information, if lost, is likely to cause irretrievable damage.

Money losses due to online fraud are only the tip of an iceberg. There may be irremediable mischief that can never be repaid. It happens when confidential information people have to consign to authorities is stolen. Information having to do with people's health, work, education, families, can be pinched, not out of simple curiosity, of course. Addresses and phone numbers, school and university records, tests results, police records, health records, insurances, tax records, voters lists and so long and so forth--all these contain bits of information that if made public can probably do harm to people mentioned there.

How simple and cheap it is now to get hold of spy software! Scores of various spy programs are available online, and many of them are free. Just imagine that they are within a mouse click from anyone - and do thank God if it is only some suspicious spouse.

Of course, there are means of defense. Loads of programs are specially created to counteract spy software, and they are also available online. Why data stealing is flourishing then? The problem is that the "means of defense" are, as it often happens, half a step behind "means of offense". Signature bases which all the anti-spy software depend on, are made up using clips of spy programs' codes; if a base doesn't contain the "autograph" of some spy program or virus, users are helpless against it. And what if the spy software is brand-new? What if it is tailor-made for one particular computer or network (not yours, if you are lucky enough) to be used only once? What if a respectable program for monitoring is used for spy purposes?

So, even if your PC does have some anti-monitoring or anti-spy software with a signature base, your PC may be being scanned right now anyway.

One useful tip: When reading an article where some term (for example, "spyware") is used often, make sure the author and you mean the same. There is quite a mess in definitions when it comes to types of software. Not surprisingly for those who still remember English lessons at school, every noun ending with "ware" is a mixture of objects having something in common--usually used for similar purposes. So it tends to be when "ware" is short for "software". Sometimes it's pretty tricky to define exactly what software it includes.

If software collects information without users' knowledge and transmits it, such a program is usually automatically labeled "spyware" no matter how valuable this information is. Well, let's use common sense. If spyware is a mixture of different software products based on different principles, it's unlikely that there can be one solution that could work against all of them. Absolute protection is a pie in the sky.

What kind of spyware is the most dangerous? Not just annoying, like most adware, but really dangerous? There is particular kind of software specially created for stealing information. One of the most effective ways of stealing information from a PC is capturing keystrokes. It would not be out of place to know the enemy better. Well, here they are:

Keylogging Programs (keyloggers, key loggers, keystroke loggers, key recorders, key trappers, key capture programs, etc.) belong to the group of tools that monitor PC activity. A small, fairly simple program (a programmer can write a plain one in a couple of days) captures everything the user is doing ? keystrokes, mouse clicks, files opened and closed, sites visited. A little more sophisticated programs of this kind also capture text from windows and make screenshots (record everything displayed on the screen) ? so the information is captured even if the user doesn't type anything, just opens the views the file.

Software products of this type were initially designed solely for recording keystroke information including the system keys, to the special log file to be analyzed by the person who installed this program. Log files can be sent within the network to the shared place, to the ftp server in the Internet, by e-mail etc. These new software products have many additional functions - they intercept information from windows, capture mouse clicks, make snapshots of the screen and active windows, record all received and sent emails, monitor file activity, monitor system register, monitor the printer queue, intercept sound from the microphone and video pictures from the web-camera connected to the computer, etc.

Keyloggers can be included into freeware, shareware, and even into commercial programs. Trojan programs, viruses and Internet worms pretty often contain keyloggers, too. That is why it is so important to apply special anti-keylogging protection.

Who needs separate anti-keylogging protection? We can easily deduce the answer:

Everybody whose data are really valuable and who will suffer great losses if they are stolen.

Everybody who deals with other people's confidential information.

Everybody whose work requires keeping information in secrecy.

And anybody else, who simply doesn't like the idea of his or her information (even if it isn't a top secret) leaking anywhere.

Alexandra Gamanenko currently works at the Raytown Corporation, LLC -- an independent software developing company. visit its website at: http://www.anti-keyloggers.com

Elk Grove (east OF 53) Chicago limousine service .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare

In The News:

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson: FBI warns of "time-traveling" hackers.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about a soft, vine-like robot called SPROUT that aids safe survivor rescues in collapsed buildings.

Health insurance giant Blue Shield of California confirmed it had been sharing private health data of 4.7 million users with Google for three years without even realizing it.

Delta and JetZero’s blended wing body aircraft marks a meaningful step toward a cleaner, quieter and more efficient future for air travel.

Recent reports show many common passwords can be cracked in literally seconds. Kurt the CyberGuy explains how to strengthen your passwords.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Iron, a robot that stands 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs 154 pounds, combines advanced artificial intelligence with human-like movement and exceptional vision.

Hertz, the rental car giant, recently confirmed that customer information was exposed through a cyberattack on one of its software vendors.

There are a number of features with AirPods you may or may not know about to take your listening experience to the next level. Kurt the CyberGuy explains.

These 35 Chrome extensions have privacy and security concerns. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says to delete them now.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says 329,000 mph fusion rocket promises to be fast, disruptive and enable deep-space missions.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says a new autonomous AI is a game changer that also raises privacy risks. Is your data safe?

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says robots and drones are revolutionizing fruit farming with faster picking and smarter handling.

Landmark Admin revises May 2024 cyberattack scope to show twice as many people were affected. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson gives tips to help stay safe from an insurance data breach.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about how Yamaha’s hydrogen outboard motor could revolutionize boating with zero emissions.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals how to memorialize or remove a deceased loved one’s Facebook account and protect their digital legacy from misuse or scams.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says an Apple Watch saved psychiatrist Amanda Faulkner by detecting deadly leukemia early.

Scammers and fraudsters are increasingly targeting the most vulnerable, especially nursing homes and the personal data of their residents. Kurt the CyberGuy has safety tips.

Infected USB flash drives can spread malware among multiple organizations in ways that can easily bypass traditional security systems.

With a fully automated warehouse system and AI-powered robots, Ocado's Hive picks, packs and delivers grocery store orders in just a few minutes.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Recycling robots are using artificial intelligence to learn how to sort recyclables by recognizing patterns in colors, textures, shapes and logos.

The Reachy 2 robot is designed to be friendly and approachable, inviting natural interaction and is perfect for research, education and experimenting with embodied AI.

Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson shares several easy ways to keep your credit cards safe from digital thieves while you're traveling this summer.