WHAT IS A KEYSTROKE READER AND HOW DOES IT WORK?
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Loading...A keystroke reader is considered to be a serious threat not only to consumers but also to companies. It causes identity and data theft and compromises the person’s privacy.
A keystroke reader is an application that records keys entered on the keyboard. This is not necessarily illegal software. In fact, it has many beneficial uses; companies can use it in employee and data monitoring. But in this article, we’ll discuss the malicious use of a keystroke reader and how hackers use it to steal sensitive information.
HOW DOES A KEYSTROKE READER WORK?
Intercept Keystrokes
A keystroke reader monitors keystrokes by positioning itself on the path that the keys you enter travel through. Then it intercepts keystrokes before the keys reach the application.
The information is saved on the internal memory of the software, then hackers retrieve it via a remote server. Hackers now have access to sensitive information.
Capture Screenshots
Sometimes keystrokes are not enough to gather information. So, hackers program a keystroke recorder to capture screenshots. The keystroke recorder turns on the camera without your knowledge and takes screenshots in the background.
Intercept Web Page Submission
Today, logging into our online accounts becomes part of our daily routine: We log into our social media and online bank accounts. This is an opportunity for hackers to steal usernames and passwords.
Through the use of a keystroke recorder, hackers can steal personal information stored on web pages. The keystroke reader secretly intercepts web page submissions to steal your personal information.
Records Chat Threads and Call History
Nobody wants to get their personal conversation compromised. Normally, we want to keep private conversations to ourselves unless we have a reason to share it. A keystroke reader can give the person who deploys it access to your personal conversations.
The information can be sent remotely to an email. The person responsible for the keystroke logger installation on your device can view your chat threads and call logs without your awareness.
That’s how malicious keystroke logging works. A keystroke reader infection doesn’t usually result in critical computer damage. So, it can be difficult to tell if it’s lurking in your computer.
However, if you suspect that there is indeed a malicious keystroke logging software on your device, you can check it out in Task Manager.
Open Task Manager, then go to the “Processes” tab. In that section, you will see all the active applications on the computer. Look for any suspicious applications in the list. Usually, malicious software has an unfamiliar publisher. If necessary, Google the application to verify if it’s malicious or not. Once you’ve verified that it is malware, end its process.
Another way to check if there’s a hidden keystroke reader on the computer is by doing a full malware scan. This is the process of deep scanning the computer to detect and remove malware. By doing a full malware scan, you can get rid of malware you would have never known was hiding on your computer.
A malware scan is accomplished through anti malware software. It is a program designed to combat threats to prevent malware infections. It consists of malware detection and removal tools to identify malware disguised as a legitimate executable file. Check out the best anti malware software for a personal computer.
If you are a business owner and want to scan your endpoint devices for a keystroke reader, we highly recommend Xcitium Advanced Endpoint Protection.
WHAT IS XCITIUM ADVANCED ENDPOINT PROTECTION?
Xcitium Advanced Endpoint Protection is a security solution for small to medium enterprises. Designed to protect business networks and endpoint devices, it is equipped with advanced malware detection tools to prevent malware infections.
Xcitium Advanced Endpoint Protection consists of the Host Intrusion Prevention System that constantly monitors the keyboard against a keystroke reader. HIPS analyzes any application that attempts to access the keyboard to ensure that no malicious application can hook the keyboard API to it.
The Host Intrusion Prevention System also protects the computer and its registry against sophisticated keystroke readers such as the Kernel-based keylogger. It is an application with the ability to load and execute directly from computer memory, thus being invisible in the file system.
Xcitium Advanced Endpoint Protection protects computer memory from malicious modifications to prevent advanced malware attacks.
Conclusion
A keystroke reader is an application designed to record keystrokes. This ability makes it a potent tool for stealing personal information. Since a keystroke reader works silently in the background, it is difficult to detect on the computer. One of the best solutions to detect and block it is to install a reputable anti malware software to take off the keystroke reader on the computer.
Download Xcitium Advanced Endpoint Protection today to detect and block a keystroke reader on your computer. Or contact us to get a live demo.