What Is Keylogger?
A Keylogger is a spying instrument that hackers frequently use to record keystrokes on their target’s devices. The term is the short form of a keystroke logger. Hackers utilize hardware and software keyloggers for recording and getting into the target’s sensitive information like private keys, account passwords, bank details, etc., to achieve personal gains. Hence, cybercriminals can be assisted to eavesdrop on anyone they wish to, for example, by watching them on their system camera. Also, if you know definition of word spyware it might help you to understand what is keylogger better.
Two Chief Categories Of Keyloggers
Hardware Keyloggers
Two chief types of keyloggers are hardware keyloggers and software keyloggers. Some prominent types of hardware keyloggers take into account the hidden camera loggers (that are utilized to observe the keystrokes visually), USB-loaded keyloggers (that implant a keystroke logger virus into a computer), and keyboard hardware keyloggers (these are either present by default or linked to a device through a cable). Some hardware tools can be inserted into a computer’s internal hardware or can also be in the form of an ordinary plugin to be covertly installed externally but without any detection. In the case of the keyboard, the keyboard port is utilized to covertly put some ordinary-looking plugin (keylogger) that records the entirety of the signals while the targeted person types; however, this requires the cybercriminals to initially access the computer of the victim physically to carry out the activity.
Software Keyloggers
It is much more convenient to introduce as well as install software keyloggers on the devices of the customers, which is one reason behind the fact that the majority of hackers utilize the software keyloggers. Contrary to the other types of viruses, no threat is posed by software keyloggers to the systems as they get infected. To be sure, the major purposes of keyloggers deal with operating at the backdrop and delivering the keystroke information during the procedural working of the device. Nonetheless, even if keyloggers do not harm the hardware, they are certainly a hazard posed to users, particularly while the sensitive data is stolen with their help.
Examples Of Keyloggers
Revealer Keylogger
Revealer Keylogger is a software that records all the activities of a user’s computer that it has been installed. Revealer Keylogger consists of so many features such as Conversation Recording – to record all that is typed on the keyboard of a computer regardless of the application that is being used, Screenshots – to capture all the actions performed on a computer, Remote Monitoring – to see all the recorded text from another computer, a tablet or a smartphone with delivery via email, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, FTP or LAN, and Invisible Mode – to run hidden in the background and never display any message on the screen.
Ardamax Keylogger
Ardamax Keylogger is a Keylogger software that enables the capturing of user activity and keeping of any documentation and logs files into an encrypted space for documentation. Some of the exciting features Ardamax Keylogger has are: Having a log file of user activity, monitoring tools for admin, obtaining concrete evidence from log files, and 24/7 computer monitoring.
WinSpy
WinSpy is a software keylogger that allows its users to monitor numerous computers on a network, whether online or offline. WinSpy features are recording user activity, monitoring network connections, logging keystrokes, taking regular screenshots, capturing online chat conversations and pictures from a webcam, recording email messages, passwords and websites visited. Like any other Keylogger software, WinSpy knows how to hide deeply in a user’s computer while running without them knowing.
Invisible Keylogger
Invisible Keylogger, just as its name possesses, can function incognito in the background of the targeted computer, and record keystrokes without showing any sign. Invisible Keylogger can run in the background and be 100% undetectable.
Refog Keylogger
Refog Keylogger watches everything that happens on the PC that it has been installed in. Just like any other software Keyloggers, Refog Keylogger can be a personal monitor that monitors every single activity of a user’s computer.
The Use Cases Of Keyloggers
A conspicuous use case of keyloggers is to steal the users’ digital currencies by accessing the crypto wallets and stealing the private keys or exchanging passwords. One can quickly minimize this threat by utilizing a hardware wallet and initiating the two-factor authorization (2FA) service available in exchange accounts.
Apart from that, there are also some legalized use cases of keyloggers. For example, keylogging software may be used by system administrators to track the operations of employees. They are also helpful in law enforcement with their use to observe criminals and effectively send the respective data to all the agency offices.
At the moment, keyloggers have gone beyond just spying instruments that the governmental institutions or criminals use to become a separate commercial market – permitting the ordinary people to buy a keylogging software’s copy. A more frequent use case of the respective software is parental control, letting parents keep an eye on the online operations of their children.
