How to detect and prevent keylogger attacks

Keyloggers are applications or devices that monitor the physical keystrokes of a computer user. They then either aggregate the information locally for later retrieval or send it off to a spyware server on the Internet. Some businesses use keyloggers, such as with the Spector Pro system, to monitor employee activity, but the vast majority are applications installed without the user's knowledge as part of a software download or system intrusion.

The true danger posed by keyloggers is their ability to bypass encryption controls and gather sensitive data directly from the user. All the encryption in the world will not sec

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Here are five steps you can take to detect existing spyware and prevent future infections on your network: Spyware, and the associated crime of identity theft, is one of the most important battles currently facing information security professionals. It's time to ensure that your organization is safe. Following these steps will help bring you closer to that goal.

About the author
Mike Chapple, CISSP is an IT Security Professional with the University of Notre Dame. He previously served as an information security researcher with the National Security Agency and the U.S. Air Force. Mike is a frequent contributor to SearchSecurity, a technical editor for Information Security magazine and the author of several information security titles including the CISSP Prep Guide and Information Security Illuminated.

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