Fighting with key logger

Key logger can be hardware or a software. Anything a user types in the keyboard will be capture by these tools and will save in a hidden place(which can be retrieved by the hacker later) or send out as e-mail, without the knowledge of the user.

Hardware’s are easy to detect, look at the connection which goes to the key board. Finding a software logger ? A tough job, even a good techi. But little bit of practice will give you better safety

When you are in a cyber café, make sure that the PC has a reputed anti-virus anti Spyware application running, with latest updates

If you need to access your bank account and secure data, try some reputed or branded café. The system at these places will be hardened, and will prevent the users installing the application

If you have accessed any sensitive data, as soon as your back home, change the passwords

Look at the bottom right hand corner of the screen. If the hacker is an amateur, he/she might have installed a trail or free version of logger software, which will show an icon. If you see any unrecognized Icons, ask the café owner what software is that.

After you finish your browsing, clear the history, cookies etc form the browser. (In IE :Go click on “Delete cookies”, “Deleteà “Internet options” àto “Tools” Files”, and “Clear History”. This will not give you a high level of protection, but this will reduce the risk

Use “On Screen Keyboard” to key in the user name and password. This will reduce the chances of a logger capturing your key strokes

Use a USB Memory stick, with portable applications (what I use is portableapps.com). You can have your browser, Anti Virus package and On-Screen Keyboard along with you. So, when you are using a different system, browse from the application in the USB stick. So, that all your browsing history, cookies etc will be in YOUR memory stick, not in that PC’s hard disk. Another advantage is that, you can carry your book marks etc along with you.

Use Microsoft Key Board Layout. (can be downloaded from the site http://www.microsoft.com/globaldev/tools/msklc.mspx ). Most of the key logger assume that the user is using QWERT keyboard, and if you swap the keys, what ever is logged will be meaningless. (ie: You press “ABCD” in the modified keyboard, but the logger will record it as “TRIO”, and it will prevent the hacker to get the actual password)

But this software is around 10 MB, and you can’t keep downloading them each time. Either keep it in a thumb drive and take it along with you, or, always use a single cyber café to access your bank account, and ask the café owner to install it for you

Another area of concern : The unknown hardware “engineer” from your computer vender came to your home for instilling new printer (or fixing some issues), this person installed a key logger, which will send all the key storks thru e-mail, without your knowledge !!!So, never leave your computer alone with a stranger, be near to him and watch what is he doing, what is he installing. Once he/she left the place, get the latest anti-Spyware and scan your computer

Also, make a list of all the standard programs running (in the back ground) and keep a similar list of all the programs that are loaded at the time of boot up. Follow the below simple steps for that.

First Step :
• As soon your new system is ready or after a fresh re-installation, press CTRL+ALT+DEL and access the task manager.
• Click on “Process” and make sure that the tick mark is on for “Show process from all users”
• Take a screen shot or make a list of all the names.

Second Step :
“Run” and type “msconfig” and press enterà• Click on “Start”
• Click on the tab “Startup”
• And note down the list of programs that are loaded to memory, when you switch on the PC.
Third Step

• When you are in “msconfig”, click on the tab “Services”
• Note down the list of services, with Status “Running”

If you find anything subspecies or anything that you don’t understand, ask the vendor or the hardware support people. Ask them to give the reply in writing or via e-mail. Again, verify the information by doing little bit of searching in Google. Re-check the information with your friends. Don’t leave any stones unturned