Most of the devices used daily involve typing functions, be it via a physical keyboard on laptops or the virtual keypad that you have with touchscreen smartphones these days. But either of these mediums is prone to risks, especially when a third-party actor has access to your typing/keystroke data which can be useful in harmful ways to the attacker.
Such a method is called keylogging, and when a device is infected with malware to steal data through keylogging, it is known as keylogger malware. With the advancement in technology, attackers are becoming smarter with their approach to stealing information.
The keylogger malware has become a popular mode, primarily because it would be hard to detect any intrusion through such a technique unless you notice a loss of data from your device. So what is keylogger malware, how do attackers use it to infect your devices and how you can protect from such malware.
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What Is Keylogger
We all type keystrokes on the keyboard to search for topics on the internet, message friends or even buy items online. All these details are captured by the software or the keyboard app installed on the device. In general, this data poses no harm to the user or their devices. But the details recorded by a keylogger can include a search topic, and even the username along with the password of private accounts, the keystroke of your bank account PIN number and more.
What Is Keylogger Malware
Malware is typically a software virus that is used to infect devices to steal information. The keylogger malware is no different. It allows access to attackers who can steam the data residing on the device and other keystroke information is available to them. All this data can be used to damage the device and even steal confidential data.
How Keylogger Malware Infects Your Device
Like most malware, the keylogger malware also has multiple entry points to infect your device. Attackers either use software modes to inject malware into the keylogger of your device or sometimes prefer the hardware route to access data.
When it comes to software, their primary medium tends to phish emails that come with malicious files as attachments, and when a person downloads the said file, they allow attackers to access the keylogging data. But it is not limited to phishing, if a device has been compromised via a zero-day exploit, and it is yet to be fixed, these actors can use the vulnerability to their advantage to infect the device.
Talking about physical attacks mostly includes infecting the keyboard or the wire used to connect the keyboard to the computer. Some have also used the USB drive port to infect the device.
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How To Protect Your Device From Keylogger Malware
Security experts are aware of the risks posed by keylogger malware attacks and they have a set of suggestions that you and I should follow with dedication so that your device remains secure from such intrusions.
Switch to Two-Factor Authentication
If you want an additional layer of security for your device and digital accounts, the best way out is two-factor authentication. Enabling this feature means any account access requires a password along with a device PIN or even a finger ID to unlock accounts of the system.
Do Not Download Files From Unknown Sources
We’ve stressed this multiple times, and once again, your security is in your hands. So, do not download files/attachments from website links or email IDs that you do not recognise. In fact, mail apps these days give you warnings about downloading links/files.
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Sign Up For a Password Manager
Keystrokes are hazardous as it allows the attacker to read through your password patterns. This is where using a password manager could help you avoid such mishaps. These managers use crypto keys to set dynamics alpha-numeric passwords for logins. Use them, and the keylogger malware becomes less of a concern for your device.
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