Stop Tracking Software, Prevent Keylogging on your Computer

Computer monitoring has become an incredibly common phenomenon, much to the horror of all those individuals and companies who have been on the wrong end of PC monitoring. A keylogger can absolutely demolish your computer’s security system and give the hacker access to all of your accounts – including emails, social networking accounts and indeed your bank accounts.
Hence, it is imperative that you counter the keylogger menace. So for that, it is important you first understand how the whole thing works.

How Do Keyloggers Work ?

What a keylogger does is it logs every single key pressed on your keyboard to another location on another device. And that is where the hacker can access everything that you type, yes, including your passwords which basically would be the curtain call on your computer’s – and indeed your own – security and privacy.

Types of Keyloggers : Hard or Soft ?

There are two kinds of keyloggers used for computer monitoring; hardware keyloggers and software keyloggers. Hardware keyloggers are much easier to detect, since they are almost always attached between the CPU and the keyboard, and hence manual inspection is all you should need. The “keydevil”, the device that acts as the keylogging bridge, is easily visible and can be removed once sighted. The software keyloggers however are a different kettle of fish altogether.

Password Puzzle

Arguably the most important combinations of keys you would want to protect are your passwords, since they could open the gateway to your personal data and indeed your monetary accumulations. One way to be sure of your password’s security, regardless of the presence of a keylogger or indeed lack thereof, is by camouflaging the password.
Like for instance let’s assume that your password is ‘kick’. What you can do is click the password box and type a random key to begin with. Then you can select the random key with your mouse and overwrite it with ‘k’. The same can be done before entering i, c and k that can be sandwiched between barrages of random keys, which would make the keylogger log something along the lines of:
[click]a[click]k[click]3[click]f[click]i[click]j[click]z[click]c[click]u[click]i[click]8[click]k    
And even though the four letters would be present in this logged assortment, the hacker would not be able to figure out which combination is the accurate one. Another way to camouflage your password is to write it down on the browser’s search bar or the address bar and copy and paste it from there.

Anti-keyloggers and Firewell

Anti-keylogger programs can be installed in your computer which blocks all the algorithms that any potential keyloggers might use. They also prevent the keyloggers from recording keystokes and stealing data. Anti Keylogger Elite, Advanced Anti Keylogger and Spy Shelter are some programs that could be used to counter keylogging. Anti-spyware software is also effective in keeping the keyloggers at bay. Similarly, protecting your computer via a firewall is another thing that should not be neglected.

Keep Yourself Updated and Aware

You should regularly update your Java, especially since older versions are said to have a plethora of security holes. These holes allow viruses to trace the route which can lead to your personal data. Like for example there is a fair chance you might get a virus while playing Runescape on an old Java version, even so, the virus does not originate from Jagex – it is unleashed by the hackers who managed to remotely track down the aforementioned security holes!
Again, keeping your Windows version updated should ensure that the chances of your computer being monitored are considerably reduced.  And the keylogger is nullified before it, well, before it makes you wish one of those security holes swallows and lands you underneath the surface of the planet.