keylogging

[jmarkos]

I understand what KeyLogging is. Can someone explain the basic of how it works? Can it be downloaded? detected? deleted? is it legal? I'm speaking in terms of personal computer and not employer computer. Thanks.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Legality depends on a lot of factors. Some are hardware, some are software. The software ones can be detected. The external hardware (not built into the keyboard) can also be detected, but who checks out the keyboard port regularly?

It's rude and invades privacy, don't bother with them.

Anyone know why there is a huge interest in keyloggers lately?

 

[tfinch2]

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
Legality depends on a lot of factors. Some are hardware, some are software. The software ones can be detected. The external hardware (not built into the keyboard) can also be detected, but who checks out the keyboard port regularly?

It's rude and invades privacy, don't bother with them.

Anyone know why there is a huge interest in keyloggers lately?

There was an ABC News story on it last night, about using keyloggers to stealing identity, etc. I've had about 3 people at work ask me about it already scared...

 

[jmarkos]

I am not trying to use it. I am trying to determine if it is on my computer, or a future threat. yes there was a story on the news last night that prompted much interest. Thanks

 

[Bootprint]

Just remember that a keylogger can be inline hardware, like the keyghost.

 

[imported_ArtVandalay]

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
Anyone know why there is a huge interest in keyloggers lately?

There's an urban legend going around about Dell shipping PCs with them installed at the behest of the Department of Homeland Security (false), it may help account for the interest.

 

[duragezic]

Indeed, it seems spyware and keyloggers would greatly increase the identity thefts taking place. People see a secure site and think they're safe, but a keylogger could be waiting to detect the XXX-XX-XXXX numbers quite easily I'd imagine (or any other important ones).

 

[BeakerChem]

My own opinion, nothing more:

Key loggers are not a threat to people on a general daily basis, especially not hardware installed version. Where are hackers getting privacy/credit card information? From the clearinghouses directly, not by hacking individual accounts one by one.

Keylogging software/hardware is mainly the province of parents snooping on their kids, and spouses snooping on each other.

The best way to determine if someone in your house has put a keylogger onto your system is to install download a mouseclick keyboard (google it, plenty available) and then install your own keylogger through mouseclicks to avoid leaving a keystroke log of the files. Then, check a couple of days latter to see what other people are doing with your system when you are not there. I have found people using keyloggers that way before in our schools computer lab.

 

[tfinch2]

Originally posted by: BeakerChem
My own opinion, nothing more:

Key loggers are not a threat to people on a general daily basis, especially not hardware installed version. Where are hackers getting privacy/credit card information? From the clearinghouses directly, not by hacking individual accounts one by one.

Keylogging software/hardware is mainly the province of parents snooping on their kids, and spouses snooping on each other.

The best way to determine if someone in your house has put a keylogger onto your system is to install download a mouseclick keyboard (google it, plenty available) and then install your own keylogger through mouseclicks to avoid leaving a keystroke log of the files. Then, check a couple of days latter to see what other people are doing with your system when you are not there. I have found people using keyloggers that way before in our schools computer lab.

Keyloggers are being installed via spyware, not someone sitting in front of your computer numbnuts.

 

[BeakerChem]

Originally posted by: tfinch2

Originally posted by: BeakerChem
My own opinion, nothing more:

Key loggers are not a threat to people on a general daily basis, especially not hardware installed version. Where are hackers getting privacy/credit card information? From the clearinghouses directly, not by hacking individual accounts one by one.

Keylogging software/hardware is mainly the province of parents snooping on their kids, and spouses snooping on each other.

The best way to determine if someone in your house has put a keylogger onto your system is to install download a mouseclick keyboard (google it, plenty available) and then install your own keylogger through mouseclicks to avoid leaving a keystroke log of the files. Then, check a couple of days latter to see what other people are doing with your system when you are not there. I have found people using keyloggers that way before in our schools computer lab.

Keyloggers are being installed via spyware, not someone sitting in front of your computer numbnuts.

Lol. Are spyware loggers really a threat? Spyware is one of the easiest to control - don't run bad software, warez, etc, and keep your anti-spyware up to date. If you were going to talk about remote installation, virus distrobution would be a better route for mass sendings.

Still, for obtaining private data, collecting it from individual users through key-stroke loggers is not efficient enough. Again, just an opinion. No need to discuss the level of sensation in my testicles.

 

[tfinch2]

Originally posted by: BeakerChem

Originally posted by: tfinch2

Originally posted by: BeakerChem
My own opinion, nothing more:

Key loggers are not a threat to people on a general daily basis, especially not hardware installed version. Where are hackers getting privacy/credit card information? From the clearinghouses directly, not by hacking individual accounts one by one.

Keylogging software/hardware is mainly the province of parents snooping on their kids, and spouses snooping on each other.

The best way to determine if someone in your house has put a keylogger onto your system is to install download a mouseclick keyboard (google it, plenty available) and then install your own keylogger through mouseclicks to avoid leaving a keystroke log of the files. Then, check a couple of days latter to see what other people are doing with your system when you are not there. I have found people using keyloggers that way before in our schools computer lab.

Keyloggers are being installed via spyware, not someone sitting in front of your computer numbnuts.

Lol. Are spyware loggers really a threat? Spyware is one of the easiest to control - don't run bad software, warez, etc, and keep your anti-spyware up to date. If you were going to talk about remote installation, virus distrobution would be a better route for mass sendings.

Still, for obtaining private data, collecting it from individual users through key-stroke loggers is not efficient enough. Again, just an opinion. No need to discuss the level of sensation in my testicles.

Most people (off of this forum) don't even know what spyware is. It is a REAL THREAT to those people.

EDIT: I cleaned a machine at work last week, it has 180 instances of spyware (not cookies) and 4 keylogger installers.

 

[BeakerChem]

Originally posted by: tfinch2


...


Most people (off of this forum) don't even know what spyware is. It is a REAL THREAT to those people.

EDIT: I cleaned a machine at work last week, it has 180 instances of spyware (not cookies) and 4 keylogger installers.

I agree in part, but those are the same people who will send off their bank account numbers because an email told them their account was being audited, so there is no saving them anyway.

 

[imported_ArtVandalay]

Originally posted by: tfinch2
I cleaned a machine at work last week, it has 180 instances of spyware (not cookies) and 4 keylogger installers.

Cousin's PC that I cleaned a while back had over 2500 instances of adware/spyware and 1300 trojans. There really is no helping most of these people. You can tell them to be careful, and instruct them how, till you're blue in the face... they simpy don't see the need or have the tech savvy/interest to care.

 

[jmarkos]

I did some further research and the keylogging programs can be inserted remotely, as simple as clicking on a link from a poster at Anandtech, and not detected via spy/virus search. It looks like a growing threat that can't be written off to naive of people carelessly using computers.

 

[Thyme]

Originally posted by: BeakerChem
Lol. Are spyware loggers really a threat? Spyware is one of the easiest to control - don't run bad software, warez, etc, and keep your anti-spyware up to date. If you were going to talk about remote installation, virus distrobution would be a better route for mass sendings.

Still, for obtaining private data, collecting it from individual users through key-stroke loggers is not efficient enough. Again, just an opinion. No need to discuss the level of sensation in my testicles.

Anti-spyware software isn't really that robust. Not running bad software is obviously a good solution, but a lot tougher of one.

In my opinion, the only real asduwad234289 way to prevent malicious d2hlsdfl358020 keylogging is by randomly typing xch233578943 things to throw ##sd423fefe people off. (I'm %#629 kidding)