What is keylogger? How to Detect keylogger(Android/PC)

 

Keylogger

Keylogger History

The keylogger was originated in the mid-1970s, in the Soviet Union as a hardware keylogger to target typewriter which was termed as "Selectric Bug".

What is the Meaning of a keylogger and how does it work?

A word keylogger tells us about something that logs (recording) keystrokes on a keyboard. But if we talk technically then it is malicious software or part of the hardware that monitors a user's Keystrokes without his awareness. 

Nowadays in this Pandemic of COVID 19, many Big Companies allowed Employers to Work from Home, and to Monitor, their work companies use Keylogger to oversees the use of their computers. But most often Keyloggers are used to steal passwords and confidential information.

What is a Keylogger is used for?

Keylogger is most often used to steal passwords and confidential information like credit card details in lack of his/her awareness. But it is legal to use the keylogger and if go on the safe side of it then it is appropriate to use Keylogger for the following Purpose including.

· Using a keylogger, Parents can track what their Kids browse on the Internet in their absence. Many times in lack of appropriate parenting, Kids get expose to Millions of wrong things on Internet, which sometimes leads to cyberbullying and adult content.

· Spouse can check whether his/her life partner is cheating him virtual or not.

· Using Keylogger Police can easily track the incident linked to the use of Personal Computer.

But nowadays it is generally used by hackers to steal valuable banking information from the writer's innocent public. Many dangerous virus writers still writing new keyloggers with the functionality of hiding them in a system which makes it more dangerous. Many Malicious Programs like Trojan-Spy are already there which tracks the user activity and store the information on a Hard disk and forward it to the master of Trojan without the victim’s awareness.

How to Protect yourself from keyloggers?

Keylogger is programmed in such a manner that it is difficult for a user's normal user to detect the Keylogger in their system. Most Antivirus company has already come with Known keylogger. User should configure their antivirus software in a way that can detect such type of malicious program and it should be up to date. But here we have some logical ways to save your data from Keylogger.

1) Check whether some unknown hardware is attached to the Keyboard or not. If it is then it may be a Potential danger for you.

2) Use an updated Antivirus Software with the capability to detect Keylogger.

3) Using One-time Password (OTP) or two-step authentication.

4) Using Virtual Keyboard. 

5) Using Speech Recognition.

Malicious Hardware for Key-logging.

Sometimes hackers and malicious minds use Hardware for logging Precious Data from Users for the Wrong usage. Hardware Keylogger does not depend on Sofware and gets activated at the hardware level in Computer. Follow these Precautions to avoid this attack:

1) Whenever you use a Public computer (in a Cybercafe) never Open your Social Media.

2) Always check whether some unknown hardware is attached to the Keyboard or not. 

3) Never use Public Computer for Money transactions.

 Some Known Hardware Keylogger are mentioned Below:

1) Body Keylogger: It tracks body Movement to analyze which Key is Pressed.

2) Mobile Sensor: In this Accelerometer of a Mobile handset is used to capture the Keystrokes from Keyboard for Further use.

3) Firmware-based: This is a BIOS-level Firmware that handles Keyboard events

4) Wireless Keyboard and Mouse sniffers: These sniffers collect packets of data transferred from the wireless Keyboard and receiver.

Use Updated Antivirus Keylogger

Nowadays Antivirus software is developed in such a way that it can also use as anti-keylogging Software which can easily check and kill the keylogger present in System. If you are the victim of Keylogger then you can follow these simple steps to get rid of these problems:

1) Use Network Monitor: Network Monitor (i.e reverse firewall) can alert users whenever an application tries to connect with the network.

2 ) Use Live CD/USB: Rebooting the Computer using Live CD/USB is an effective countermeasure against the software Keylogger.

Using One-time Password (OTP) or two-step authentication.

Time Password (OTP) can be used to prevent unauthorized access to an account that has login data exposed to the attacker via Keylogger.

Using On-screen Keyboard

Using a Virtual or On-screen, Keyboard can hinder the Keylogger as it sends normal keyboard messages to the external program, and it works the same as a Normal Keyboard. It is not hat much Popular but it can save your Data. You can use – screen Keyboard in Windows using these simple steps:

Start>Program>Accessories>Accesibility>On-Screen Keyboard

Using Speech Recognition 

Speech to text recognition can also be used to hinder Keylogger to work because in these we will use speech recognition software to take input instead of Keyboard. In Computer, we will need a Microphone as an Input device for the Speech recognition method.

Types of Keylogger

If we look at the major types of Keylogger then we have two types of Keylogger :

1) Software Keylogger: Keylogger is present in the system and cannot be seen from naked eyes. It can store keystrokes of the Keyboard and send them to the mastermind.

If we deep dive into it then we will have the following types of keyloggers in it:

 Hypervisor based: The keylogger can run underneath the operating system, which remains untouched 

 Kernel-based: This type of keylogger gets root access to hide in OS can intercept the keystrokes that pass through the kernel.

API based: This type of keylogger hooks the keyboard inside the running application.

 Memory injection based: This type of keylogger perform its logging process by altering memory tables associated with browser and other system function. 

Javascript-based: In this, a malicious script is injected into a targeted website to record Keystrokes.

2) Hardware Keylogger: Keylogger can be seen from naked eyes and doesn’t require any software to get activated. If we go deep then Hardware Keylogger has the following types of the keylogger:

· Firmware based: This is a BIOS-level Firmware that handles Keyboard events

· Keyboard Overlays: This is generally used by criminals on ATMs to capture user’s PINs. The device is designed in such a way that it looks like an integrated part of the machine.

· Acoustic Keylogger: This type of Keylogger performs its work by detecting typing sound and other measurable factors.

· Keyboard hardware: This type of hardware is generally located on keyboard wire and USB port. In most cases, it appears as a Keyboard USB connector.

Why Keyloggers are a threat?

Keylogger is not that harmful as another malicious program that affects the system and crashes the computer RAM and Hard Disk. It generally monitors the activity of a user and sends the data to the hacker, which he/she use for e-payments.

Nowadays Cybercriminal uses Phishing pages, social engineering, and Keylogger to attack the innocent Public. A person with some cyber Knowledge can easily avoid a Phishing page by not providing his/her information on that page sent from an unfamiliar email address. But it is usually impossible for a user to understand whether the keylogger has been installed on his machine or not.

In recent years we have seen a high peak of malicious programs with Keylogger functionality.

How Keylogger is constructed?

The main idea behind the keylogger is to get between any two links in a chain of events between pressing the key and displaying the information on the screen. This can be acquired using video surveillance, a hardware bug in the keyboard, wire, or the computer itself, intercepting input/ output, substituting the keyboard driver, the filter driver in the keyboard stack, intercepting kernel functions by any means possible intercepting DLL functions in user mode, and, finally, requesting information from the keyboard using standard documented methods.

The common ways to construct a Keylogger are as follows:

1) A system hook that notifies that a key has been pressed.

2) A cyclical information keyboard request from the keyboard

3) Using a filter driver.

Recently Many keyloggers disguise their files to keep them found manually or by antivirus software using a rootkit. There are mainly two types of rootkit technologies:

1) Masking in user mode

2) Masking in kernel mode.

How Keylogger Spreads?

Like a Virus, Keylogger also spread when the victim is exposed to the Internet where he/she opens an unknown file via email or an unsecured website. The main doors from where we unknowingly allow keylogger to come inside our Machine.

1) A keylogger can be installed in the machine when the user opens a file from an unknown source or email.

2) A keylogger can be installed when we are on Peer2Peer Network.

3) Keylogger can get installed via a web page script that exploits browser vulnerability.

4) A keylogger can be installed in a system by other malicious programs that can download other malicious programs.

 Keylogger in Android

As we talked about Computer’s Keylogger, so now it’s time to look at Keylogger on Android devices. Keylogger in Android is used to record useful information about Social media, Calls, and more. There are many applications available for Android as Keylogger which tracks the Mobile location, calls, and messages.

How to detect Keylogger in Mobile?

Detecting spyware Keylogger on Mobile is very easy, you just follow these simple steps to get rid of it.

1) Settings> Go to Files>Downloads

2) Here you will get all the downloaded files and folders on Mobile.

3) If you see any unfamiliar download, then delete it immediately.

4) Otherwise reboot your Mobile, it will take you to install the apps again which will make the spyware dormant or harmless. 

Here are some Antikeylogging software 

Norton

Kaspersky

McAfee

eScan

K7

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