More Than Likely Your Computer Has Been Hit by a Malicious Keylogger Program

Keylogging programs are to the internet what the stealth bomber is to radar. You know they're there, but you can't see them until after they've done their damage. Sad to say, they're also a mushrooming problem on the Internet, where identity and intellectual property thefts are fueling an explosion of key-capture tools.

Reports of new keylogging programs soared higher this year, as part of a wave of multifunction malware with integrated keylogging features, according to VeriSign Inc.'s security information company iDefense Inc. These keylogging programs often evade detection by anti-virus tools and can be difficult to detect once installed, experts warn. However, at least one anti-spyware company believes that reports about the danger posed by keyloggers are overstated.

More than 6,000 keylogging programs will be released by the end of this year, according to projections by iDefense. That's an increase of 2,000 percent over the last five years, company officials said.

Keyloggers have been around for years and are also sold as legitimate applications, often as monitoring tools for concerned parents or suspicious spouses, according to Ken Dunham, director of malicious code at iDefense, in Reston, Virginia. Police foiled a $420 million keylogger scam.

Malicious keyloggers are increasingly part of modular programs that contain Trojan horse, spamming, and remote control features. Anti-virus companies have developed signatures that will stop many of those programs before they can be installed, but new programs with unique signatures are readily available from malicious code download sites. In some cases, the programs' source code can be purchased so buyers can create their own keylogger variants.

Keyloggers are particularly common in countries where online banking fraud is a problem, such as Brazil. The keyloggers, usually coupled with Trojan programs, are programmed to spring to life when victims type the URL of a specific bank or banks into their web browser or when they launch a webpage with a specific name.

Keyloggers are also pouring out of countries in Eastern Europe that are less discriminating about what kind of log-in information they capture. China is a major source of Trojan and keylogger programs, such as Myfip, that are customized to steal intellectual property, such as Microsoft Corp. Word or CAD/CAM files, rather than personal or financial information. Still, some take issue with the dire warnings about keylogging programs.

To protect yourself, you need an Internet security team of experts making sure that you, your family, and your business computer are always safe and secure. The best protection you can have in today's rapidly changing world of cyber-attacks is to have expert support for all your Internet security needs that will provide technical support without any hassles and without charging you extra fees. It will become even more critical than it is today as time goes on. You need to find your own personal team of experts to rely on. If you ever have a security problem, you will want to have a trusted expert you can call for professional help, without any hassles and extra costs!

Because cybercriminals are becoming smarter and more sophisticated in their operations, they are real threats to your personal security and privacy. Your money, your computer, your family, and your business are all at risk. These cybercriminals leave you with three choices:

1. Do nothing and hope their attacks, risks, and threats don’t occur on your computer.

2. Do research and get training to protect yourself, your family, and your business.

3. Get professional help to lockdown your system from all their attacks, risks, and threats.

Remember: When you say "No!" to hackers and spyware, everyone wins! When you don't, we all lose!

© MMVII, Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW, The Internet Safety Advocate and Educator