How they work : “How Keyloggers Work”

Keyloggers, as a surveillance tool that are often used by employers to ensure employees use work computers for business purposes only. They could also be used by parents keen on knowing what their teenage children are doing with the computers or internet. In some cases, Internet cafes may install Keyloggers on to their computers so that they can record all the transactions carried on their computers lest someone misuses them and the onus is tracked back to their public IP (Internet protocol) addresses. On the other hand, criminals, security agents and other parties could use the Keyloggers for reconnaissance purposes. That said and done, what are Keyloggers and how do they work? The term ‘keylogger’ itself is neutral, and the word describes the program’s function. Most sources define a keylogger as a software program designed to secretly monitor and log all keystrokes. This definition is not altogether correct, since a keylogger doesn’t have to be software; it may be a hardware device that comes in form of a USB or PS2 add-on adaptor or even a Flash Disk. Keylogging devices are much rarer than keylogging software, but it is important to keep their existence in mind when thinking about information security. Legitimate programs may have a keylogging function which can be used to call certain program functions using “hotkeys,” or to toggle between keyboard layouts (e.g. Keyboard Ninja). There is a lot of legitimate software which is designed to allow administrators to track what employees do throughout the day, or to allow users to track the activity of third parties on their computers. However, the ethical boundary between justified monitoring and espionage is a fine line. Legitimate software is often used deliberately to steal confidential user information such as passwords. Most modern Keyloggers are considered to be legitimate software or hardware and are sold on the open market. Developers and vendors offer a long list of cases in which it would be legal and appropriate to use Keyloggers, some of which may including some or all of the following:- -Parental control: parents can track what their children do on the Internet,and can opt to be notified if there are any attempts to access websites containing adult or otherwise inappropriate content; -Jealous spouses or partners can use a keylogger to track the actions of their better half on the Internet if they suspect them of “virtual cheating”; Company security: tracking the use of computers for non-work-related purposes, or the use of workstations after hours; Company security: using Keyloggers to track the input of key words and phrases associated with commercial information which could damage the company (materially or otherwise) if disclosed; Other security (e.g. law enforcement): using keylogger records to analyze and track incidents linked to the use of personal computers; However, the justifications listed above are more subjective than objective; the situations can all be resolved using other methods. Additionally, any legitimate keylogging program can still be used with malicious or criminalintent. Today, Keyloggers are mainly used to steal user data relating to various online payment systems, and virus writers are constantly writing new keylogger Trojans for this very purpose. The next time you use a public computer or any computer that does not belong to you, carefully examine the Keyboard, mouse, printer and any other ports, they could be bugged so that all the key strokes you apply to the keyboard are recorded for someone else’s use. eddie@afrowebs.com