Keylogger

Reporter:
Kezi John A. Famadico jr
Royce Angelo D. Buaya
Keyloggers: A Brief History
• It may come as no surprise that keyloggers have
been used for spying on people since the beginning
of computers. According to Wikipedia, keyloggers
were used for many different purposes in the 1970s
and early 1980s, including secret government
operations.
 Keylogger

The term ‘keylogger’ comes from

‘keystroke logging’, the act of
recording (logging) the keys that are
pressed on a keyboard, usually
without the user knowing that their
actions are being watched. But first,
let’s dive into the difference
between hardware-based and
software-based keyloggers.
Software-based Keyloggers
• A software-based keylogger is a computer program
that can be installed without having direct access to
the user’s computer. It can be downloaded on
purpose by someone who wants to monitor a
computer, or it can be downloaded without the
user’s knowledge and run as part of a rootkit.
Hardware-based Keyloggers
• A hardware-based keylogger is a tiny device, a
physical component that connects to the computer
via the keyboard. The device usually looks like a
standard keyboard PS/2 connector, computer
cabling, or a USB adaptor, making it relatively
simple to conceal the device for someone who
wants to keep an eye on a user’s behavior.
User-Mode Keyloggers
• A user-mode keylogger intercepts keyboard and
mouse movements using a Windows application
programming interface (API). User mode keyloggers
are the quickest to create, but they are also the
easiest to detect because the functions that they
use to intercept data are well-known within the
Win32 API.
Kernel-Mode Keyloggers
• A kernel-mode keylogger is more advanced and
difficult to implement. It requires higher privileges
to operate and may be more difficult to track down
within a system. Kernel mode keyloggers use filter
drivers that can intercept keystrokes, and they also
have the ability to change the internal dynamics of
Windows by using the kernel.
Tips for Preventing Keylogging
• Two-Factor Authentication

• Only Download Safe Files

• Install Antivirus Software

• Use a Password Manager