
Most commonly, keyloggers infect your computer via a Trojan virus. A keylogger may be at work for a long time before the user realizes something is wrong. This is because they don’t affect your computer in any obvious way. In addition, keyloggers are notoriously difficult to detect. Hackers also use keyloggers to spy on organizations and governments, which can result in devastating security and data breaches.

Once they have this information, they can transfer money from your bank, run up expensive credit card bills, or log onto your accounts. This means that cybercriminals can figure out your PINs, account numbers, and login information for financial, gaming, and online shopping accounts. The main danger of keyloggers is hackers can use them to decipher passwords and other information entered using the keyboard. Keyloggers are distinct from other kinds of malware since they don’t harm your computer or operating system. These statistics suggest that keyloggers are an extremely common form of malware and are growing in popularity.

And Kaspersky Labs have identified over 300 types of keyloggers. In fact, a report by Symantec revealed that nearly 50% of malware does not harm the computers, but is used to collect personal data.Įxact statistics are hard to come by, but SANS Institute researcher John Bambenek estimates that around 10 million computers in the United States are infected with keylogging malware. Malicious keyloggers like Zeus Trojan are becoming much more common.

Software-based keyloggers embed themselves into your computer, apps, or browser.
SCAN MAC FOR KEYLOGGER SOFTWARE
The software versions are much more of a threat to users. However, it is unlikely that someone will plant one in your home. The hardware versions are tiny devices placed between the keyboard and computer to capture hundreds of keystrokes. There are several different kinds of keyloggers hackers can use. Other kinds of keyloggers affect browsers, apps, and web pages, putting anyone who uses them at risk. These types of keyloggers are called rootkit viruses. Some even embed themselves in the operating system. Keyloggers don’t slow down users’ computers, which makes them difficult to detect.
SCAN MAC FOR KEYLOGGER PASSWORD
Here hackers sort the data and can figure out your username and password for your financial and online shopping accounts. In other cases, hackers use keyloggers to spy on businesses and governments and access their data.Īs the keylogger tracks your keystrokes, the information is sent to a hacker database online. Some parents or employers use them to monitor their children’s or employees’ online activities, but cybercriminals use them to steal people’s data. Read on for more information on what keyloggers are, how they work, and how you can prevent them from accessing your computer.Ī keylogger, or keystroke logger, is a program that runs continuously on your computer and records every keystroke you make. This means your information can be compromised for a long time without you knowing it. Unfortunately, keyloggers are very difficult to detect. These programs record every keystroke the user makes, and hackers can use this data to decipher your passwords and other confidential information.

Keyloggers are an increasingly common type of malware threatening consumers today.
