How to secure yourself from keyloggers?

A keylogger can be a device or piece of software. Either way, it is a very serious security concern to ones system critical information. Keyloggers, as the name suggests, are capable of monitoring your activities on your computer by logging every keystroke you enter and saving it into its memory for later retrieval and review by the person who installed it on your system.


Types of Keyloggers There are two basic types of keyloggers

– the hardware keylogger
A hardware keylogger is a device that is attached, usually to a keyboard, at the end of the PS2 or USB port and at the port and is attached to the computer port.

- the software keylogger.
The other type is the software keylogger. In other words, it is a type of computer program installed into a computer. Software keyloggers can not only monitor save the keystrokes that you type, it can also take screenshots of your computer, and copy the data you put in your clipboard.

How Keyloggers Work?
No matter what type of keylogger is used, their main objective is to monitor the activities done on the computer. It basically intercepts such activities it is programmed to monitor and saves it into a file for software keyloggers and into a dedicated memory device for hardware types.
Such data is later retrieved by the person who installed the device. For hardware versions, the physical removal of the device from the computer where its contents is downloaded into a computer for evaluation. For software loggers, the log file is either sent remotely to the person through email, FTP upload, through an IM messages, or by physical access by in that same computer.Keyloggers can be used as payloads from various types of malware. It can come with spyware, trojans, backdoors, and adware and automatically install themselves into a computer without the user's knowledge.

How to Get Rid of Keyloggers? Keyloggers, when used illegally, is considered as a form of malware that should be immediately. The best way to get rid of keyloggers is to use both updated antivirus and anti-spyware software (For spyware removal, read how to get rid of spyware).
Commercial security software like Norton Internet Security, Mcaffee Internet Security Suite, and Eset Internet Security are some good security suite software that are capable of removing keylogger software in your computer.Avoiding Keyloggers It is quite easy to avoid getting victimized by keyloggers. First step is to have your computer running updated versions of security software. Never download software from unsafe websites too. If you have to download software, go directly to the website and click the download button.
Avoid using public computers when logging into your email, online banking, or other secure online services. If you really have to, make sure you immediately change your password at home or at a secured computer.
If you suspect that the public computer you are using has a keylogger, try to “trick” it by typing all the consonants or certain characters of your password first then using the mouse to insert the vowels or other remaining characters of your password.