Keystroke logging

A keylogger (Eng. " key player ") is a hardware or software that is used to its logging the user's input to a computer and thereby monitor or reconstruct. Keylogger for example be used by hackers to access confidential data - to reach - for example passwords or PIN. A keylogger can record all entries to or deliberately waiting for keywords such as passwords, and then only to record, to save space.

Software Keylogger

Software Keylogger switch between keyboard and operating system to read the entries first and then pass it on to the operating system. Some keyloggers save the entries on the hard drive of the supervised computer, others send them over the Internet to a computer it serviceable.

Hardware Keylogger

Hardware keyloggers require an immediate physical access to the affected computer. They are used in situations where an installation of software keyloggers not possible, does not make sense or is too costly. Hardware keyloggers are plugged directly between keyboard and computer and can be installed within seconds. ( Etc. RAM, EPROM ) to store equipment that the spied data in a built-in memory, are later removed. The of them recorded keystrokes will now be read on another computer. Other techniques will ship the mitprotokollierten data over networks or by radio. The easiest way to detect hardware keyloggers, is to investigate the hardware used (primary keyboard and connecting cable between the keyboard and computer). However, it is also possible to identify them by means of software for many of the available models.

In Germany, the unauthorized ( recognition, without consent ) use of keyloggers on foreign computers as spying out data according to § 202a of the Penal Code punishable. Companies who want to use keylogger to the company computers, they must obtain the consent of the works council before. In addition, " ithout knowledge of the user [ ... ] are not used device for the qualitative or quantitative control [o ] " may in accordance with paragraph 22 of the Annex to Bildschirmarbeitsverordnung.

Protection from keyloggers

Protect gives some protection against hardware keyloggers with a virtual keyboard. The inputs of this screen keyboard has the keylogger not end with. Therefore, it is advisable to use them to protect themselves against hardware keyloggers. Counter Softwarekeylogger but this offers no protection.

To protect against software keyloggers one should keep his system with anti -spyware programs or the latest virus scanners up to date. On other people's computers you can protect yourself against keyboard loggers targeted " by dicing " the keystrokes: When you log on, for example, on a website, removed between each character input the password the focus of the cursor by clicking on an empty spot of the website click, type in the letters and typed further contaminating the password. Limits and a more detailed description of the method can be found in "How To Login From an Internet Cafe Without Worrying About Keyloggers " ( links).