Tuesday, January 3, 2012

The working of a Keylogger

A keylogger is a software that keeps record of keystrokes of users. It can act as a trojan virus.
How it Works:-
When a user starts typing, it keeps track of keys pressed and save these keys in a file. Most text files are used to store the keystrokes. The text file is sent to the attacker via email or ftp uploading. So attacker can download and view text file. Most advanced keyloggers store additional information of keystrokes i.e. time and date of keys typed or name of user's computer etc.
How it can be a threat:-
This is an attack on one's privacy and confidentiality of information. Attacker can compromise user email, credit accounts by knowing the password. If you think further, it can cause havoc.
Prevention:-
To protect yourself, don't install untrusted softwares from untrusted websites or users.
Install an anti-virus and firewall on your pc or laptop.
A video showing the working of a keylogger:-