Without knowing it, all the information you input in your keyboard can be accessed by another person. Isn’t it creepy? You’re not just losing your privacy; it can also create a situation that that the data supplied can be used maliciously. I am talking about keyloggers.

Keylogger also known as key stroke logging is defined by actualspy.com as:

"It is a software program or hardware device that is used to monitor and log each of the keys a user types into a computer keyboard. The user who installed the program or hardware device can then view all keys typed in by that user. Because these programs and hardware devices monitor the keys typed in a user can easily find user passwords and other information a user may not wish others to know about."

Keylogger as mentioned earlier can be classified into software program and hardware device. Software keyloggers are designed to work on the target computer’s operating system. One type of software keylogger resides at the kernel of the operating system (OS) and is invisible. It is powerful because it has the means to subvert the kernel of the operating system thus gaining unauthorized access to the hardware.

An example of a hardware keylogger is a small physical device that can be placed between the keyboard’s plug and the computer’s keyboard port. This keylogger has the capability to record all keystrokes and saves them into its own memory. It doesn’t need a particular software or driver to function. One of its limitations is its inability take screenshots. As compared to software keylogger the hardware keylogger can be easily be found when a thorough inspection of the computer is performed.

How powerful are keyloggers? Below are some tasks keyloggers can do lifted from 2-spyware.com website:

· Logs each keystroke a user types on a computer’s keyboard.

· Takes screenshots of user activity at predetermined time intervals or when a user types a character or clicks a mouse button.

· Tracks user activity by logging window titles, names of launched applications, exact time of certain event occurrence and other specific information.

· Monitors online activity by recording addresses of visited web sites, taken actions, entered keywords and other similar data.

· Records login names, details of various accounts, credit card numbers and passwords including those hidden by asterisks or blank space.

· Captures online chat conversations made in popular chat programs or instant messengers.

· Makes unauthorized copies of outgoing and incoming e-mail messages.

· Saves all collected information into a file on a hard disk, and then silently sends this file to a configurable e-mail address; uploads it to a predefined FTP server or transfers it through a background Internet connection to a remote host. Gathered data can be encrypted.

· Complicates its detection and removal by hiding active processes and concealing installed files. The uninstaller, if it exists, usually refuses to work if a user cannot specify a password. "

A keylogger does not spread on its own. It needs to be installed legitimately or maliciously. Examples of keyloggers that are installed legitimately are those computer surveillance tools that are useful to parents, employers or teachers in monitoring the activities of the children, students or employees online. Another positive use of keylogger is its ability to determine sources of errors in a computer system. But these legitimate reasons to install keylogger can be twisted by individuals who have dark plans for the information captured.

Malicious keyloggers pose a lot of danger to computer users. As stated above they can do a lot of tasks that cannot be detected easily. Because of its parasitic nature they work like viruses and Trojans. Once they infect the computer system the problems that may arise are unimaginable.

The keylogger programs are usually embedded inside ordinary software downloads, e-mail attachments, photos, and files being shared in YM, .They can also be present at web pages, taking advantage of browser features that allow programs to run automatically These malicious keyloggers may appear harmless to the receiver and out of ignorance accept it without hesitation not knowing the disastrous consequences.