TheDigitalWay / Pixabay
Not heard about keylogging yet?
Hackers & cyber terrorists have been using this weapon for some time now. Keylogging is hard to detect & can be used to attack Internet users in various ways.
What is keylogging?
Keylogging is the process of installing a malicious program (known as a keylogger) on a person’s system. This program records keystrokes as they are pressed on your keyboard. These records are then sent to an attacker.
This potentially opens the user up to a variety of risks. The recorded keylog can contain anything from your debit or credit card details to your social media passwords or your bank log-in details among other things. Because it one of the most dangerous weapons for financial & identity theft, it is important that you know how it works & how to protect yourself from it.
How are keyloggers installed?
To capture your information, a keylogging software has to be installed on your system 1st. Since it is unlikely that you will knowingly install it on your system, hackers make use of a trojan virus to deliver & install a keylogger.
Basically, there are two ways this happens. The 1st is through phishing. The hacker sends you an email usually with an attachment in the guise of a legitimate company. A victim who unknowingly downloads these attachments would have the keylogger installed into his or her computer stealthily.
The other method takes advantage of a victim’s specific weakness & uses that to target him or her. For example, it could be a love for porn Sites or sales coupons. Once this weakness is identified, the hacker will send the victim a mail with a link or fake attachment relating to that specific weakness or hobby. This could be a link to an exclusive porn site or a fake coupon among other possibilities. The keylogger is automatically installed on “Clicking this link” or “Download the attachment.”
How to protect yourself
Knowing the various ways a keylogger can be installed on your system is the 1st step in preventing an attack. This way, you know Online habits that might make you prone to an attack & take measures to avoid them. As a rule, you should be careful when you open attachments sent to you either through emails, chats, text messages or on social media platforms.
Also, given the subtle nature of keylogging attacks, you will have to take additional precautions to keep yourself protected.
This includes:
- Installing a firewall
- Installing a password manager
- Implementing two-factor authentication & one-time passwords
- Using virtual keyboards
- Installing a good antivirus system. Be sure to check that the antivirus system has keylog protection capabilities.
In conclusion
If you suspect that a keylogger might have been installed on your computer, you should access your accounts from a different computer & change your password immediately. The best way to prevent a keylogger attack is to take caution with downloading files & attachments, especially from unknown sources.
