Plug-n-Play Hardware KeyLoggers - Useful but Dangerous

If you are using a public terminal in an internet cafe, college library or even inside the posh business center of an hotel or airport lounge, do check the connection between your keyboard cable and the desktop - the white AA battery sized hardware device in the picture is actually a keystroke logger.

Hardware keyloggers may soon become a challenge in schools and offices as these devices get affordable and widely available.

These deceptive KeyGhost hardware keyloggers plug-in between your keyboard and Desktop PC and will largely go unnoticed by the computer user. Once plugged in, it tracks and records all computer keystrokes in it's internal Flash memory. The keystrokes can later be retrieved using any text editor.

The same company also develops USB Keyloggers that resemble a thumb drive but record all keystrokes on PC or Mac. They even support wireless keyboards.

While most antivirus and antispyware can safely detect and block software keyloggers, hardware keyloggers that attach to the PC or Mac via USB ports or PS/2 keyboards may be tough to discover since they do not install any software on the computer. The only workaround is manual inspection of your computer ports.

If you suspect that the computer is running keylogger software in the background, use the virtual on-screen keyboard to type your important usernames and passwords. The keylogger will register them as mouse clicks and fail to record you keystrokes.

KeyGhost KeyLoggers [Picture: Spycop, Thanks Mahesh]

Related Snooping and Spying Hacks:
   Someone Reading Your Email Messages ?
   How to re-enable disabled USB Ports in Office