What Is a Keylogger? Everything You Need to Know

Imagine software that runs in the background of your computer, silently recording every single keystroke you make. It’s like a digital spy, watching and recording everything you type without you even knowing it. 

Frightening? That’s exactly what keylogger software does. 

In this quick guide, you’ll learn what a keylogger is, how they work, and how you can protect yourself from them. 

What is a keylogger and how does it work?

First things first — let’s take a look at how keyloggers actually work. There are two main types of keyloggers — hardware and software. Both types of keyloggers operate in basically the same way— they record all the keyboard activity on your device and can send this information back to whoever deployed them.

Hardware keyloggers physically attach to your computer’s keyboard and record all of the keystrokes made. These types of keyloggers are usually very small in size, making them hard to detect and easy for hackers to hide.

Software keyloggers, on the other hand, are installed directly onto your computer and can be used to record all kinds of information, including keystrokes, passwords, and even screenshots.

What is the security risk of keylogging?

To be clear, there are perfectly legitimate uses for keylogger software such as parents keeping track of their children’s online activity or businesses monitoring employee behavior. However, the problem starts when keyloggers are used for criminal purposes, such as stealing passwords or gaining access to confidential information.

Think about it — how would you feel if your passwords or banking details were stolen because someone used a keylogger to monitor your activity? It’s scary to think that cybercriminals can use this type of software to gain access to sensitive information and potentially cause serious financial damage.

That’s why it’s so important to be aware of the security risks associated with keylogging and take the necessary steps to protect yourself.

What is the purpose behind keyloggers?

At its core, a keylogger is a monitoring tool used to keep track of user activity on a device. However, depending on how or when it’s used, it can be either malicious or beneficial to both parties.

Acceptable uses of keyloggers

Believe it or not, there are many legitimate use cases for keyloggers, such as:

• Parental monitoring: Keyloggers can be a great way to keep track of a child’s activity online, making sure they aren’t accessing any harmful content on their device.
• Employee monitoring: Keyloggers are often a staple of company-owned devices. They’re used to measure employee productivity, ensure regulatory compliance, and prevent data leaks.
• Troubleshooting and diagnostics: It’s not uncommon for IT support to utilize keyloggers in a controlled environment to investigate software bugs to reproduce technical errors.

Keyloggers used for cybercrime

You might be more familiar with keyloggers for their illegal and unethical use without the device owner’s knowledge or consent. Examples of such crimes include:

• Credential theft: With a keylogger installed, a hacker can steal your login credentials and gain access to your personal accounts.
• Spying and stalking: In addition to passwords, keyloggers can be used to monitor private conversations and monitor victims’ online activity.
• Financial fraud: Keyloggers can record your credit card number or bank information you enter online, allowing hackers to run fraudulent transfers in your name.
• Corporate espionage: It’s not just individuals who are at risk. Corporations are often targeted by keyloggers in order to steal trade secrets or as a preliminary step for a full-blown cyberattack.

How to detect a keylogger?

While ideally you want to prevent a keylogger from being installed on your Mac in the first place, knowing how to detect one is the next best thing.

It’s not always easy to do it manually, but there are some signs that you can look out for:

1. Unusual activity on your Mac: Keep an eye out for any unauthorized background activity, applications, or software you don’t recall installing yourself. One of these could be the keylogger in disguise, monitoring your activity.
2. Performance issues: A Mac infected with a keylogger might experience lagging, slowdowns, or unexpected crashes. This could be a sign that the keylogger is conflicting with your system and causing performance issues while operating.
3. Suspicious emails and messages: While not a direct sign of a keylogger, emails and messages that appear urgent might be trying to trick you into downloading keylogger software.
4. Unusual outbound network traffic: This can be difficult to notice, as keyloggers don’t transmit large amounts of data. However, if you notice data being sent to an unknown server or IP address while you aren’t using your Mac, it could be a sign that a keylogger is sending out captured keystrokes. In fact, this sign might be easier to detect with a firewall or network monitoring tool installed.
5. Login attempts and account activity: This could be considered a “late” sign of a keylogger infection, as login attempts from new devices or unfamiliar locations might mean the attacker has successfully stolen some of your login credentials and is attempting to use them.

How to remove a keylogger from your Mac

If you suspect you have a keylogger installed on your Mac, your best course of action is to remove it using antivirus software. You can sign up for a 7-day free trial of Moonlock and run your first scan today.

Here’s what to do:

• Open Moonlock and click Malware Scanner on the left sidebar.
• From the drop-down menu, click Configure. This will open a new window where you’ll be able to configure your first and future scans with Moonlock.
• In the new window, under “Scan type,” we recommend selecting a Deep scan and enabling all optional files: archives, disk images (DMG), and packages (PKG).
• Once you’re done, close the Settings page. This will save your preferences and take you back to the Malware Scanner tab.
• Click Scan.

Moonlock will methodically scan your Mac for any malware or keyloggers lurking in the shadows. Once it finds one, it will immediately isolate it from the rest of your device in Quarantine and then allow you to fully and safely remove it from your Mac.

Additional ways to get rid of a keylogger on your Mac

Antivirus software isn’t your only way to fight against a keylogger on your Mac. There are other steps you can take, including:

• Check login items: Remove any unfamiliar applications and software that automatically launch at startup.
• Update your OS: Always keep the latest version of macOS and install new security patches as soon as they’re available.
• Inspect Activity Monitor: Look for any unusual processes consuming CPU or memory resources in the Activity Monitor and track their source.
• Check your Applications folder: Uninstall any suspicious or unknown activity you find in your Applications folder, and avoid installing anything from outside the App Store or unofficial websites.

How to find and remove a keylogger on your iPhone

Keyloggers aren’t limited to desktop devices and laptops. Your iPhone could also get infected with a keystroke logger without you noticing. That’s why it’s important to be aware of the warning signs:

• Unusual data usage
• Unexplained battery drain
• Unknown applications
• Frequent system crashes or lagging

If you’ve been experiencing any of these symptoms on your iPhone, you might want to consider the possibility of a malware infection, particularly a keylogger. Here’s what you can do:

• Update iOS to the latest version.
• Delete any unfamiliar or suspicious apps.
• Check configuration profiles and remove any unknown ones.
• Reset your device and restore your data from a backup prior to the symptoms.

How to prevent keylogging?

Now that we’ve gone over how to remove keyloggers, you might be wondering — how do you prevent it in the first place?

The best way to protect yourself from keyloggers is to be aware of the potential risks and take steps to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals. Here are some tips for keeping your data safe:

• Use strong passwords that are difficult to guess. Avoid using the same password for multiple accounts, as this increases your chances of being hacked.
• Keep your software up-to-date with the latest security patches and never open suspicious links or emails from unknown sources.
• Consider using a virtual private network (VPN) to encrypt your data while browsing the web.
• Install antivirus and anti-malware software, and make sure to run regular scans to detect any potential threats.
• Be wary of suspicious emails or links, as this is a common way for hackers to install malicious software on your computer called “Phishing“
• Disable any unnecessary USB ports to reduce the chances of a hardware keylogger being installed.

You can disable an unused USB port on a Windows Computer by going into the Device Manager, selecting the USB port you want to disable, and then clicking on “Disable.”

The process will vary on other operating systems, but the general idea is the same — disable any ports you don’t need.

When it comes to protecting yourself from keyloggers, the best defense is a good offense. Be proactive and take steps to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals! By following these tips and remaining vigilant about potential security risks, you’ll be better equipped to protect yourself from keylogging attacks.

FAQs

How do I know if I have a keylogger installed?

It can be difficult to tell if a keylogger has been installed, as they are designed to run in the background without any visible signs. If you suspect that a keylogger may have been installed on your computer, then we recommend running a scan with anti-virus and anti-malware software.

How do I remove a keylogger?

The best way to remove a keylogger is with specialized anti-keylogging software. Tanti-keylogging software is designed to detect and remove malware that other anti-virus programs may miss, such as low-level or hidden keyloggers.

How can I protect myself from keylogging?

The best way to protect yourself from keylogging is to stay vigilant and take steps to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals. Be sure to use strong passwords, keep your software up-to-date, consider using a VPN, install antivirus and anti-malware software, and disable any unnecessary USB ports.