Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Hardware Key-loggers

Hardware keylogger is a computer spy accessory that falls under the category “Just because you’re paranoid, it doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you”. The small device plugs in between a keyboard and the computer, making it possible to record every single keystroke being made. Over a year’s worth of data can be stored on the 4MB built-in memory. A micro-controller interprets the data, and stores information in memory and just like a USB key drive will retain information even without being connected to a power source. To access the recorded data, you simply type menu in a text editor and the KeyShark comes to life. A menu is displayed with options to erase data, view data, search data for keywords, change password, or disable the device. 


Capable of storing up to half a million characters, the Key Shark can record the average computer user’s activities for up to a few months before reaching its full capacity. Since it is not software-based, the chances of a computer user finding out about it is pretty slim, unless he/she takes a peek behind the CPU to find an odd peripheral that wasn’t there before.


USB Key-logger:




PS2 Key-Logger:

Check out these tricks to fool Key-loggers:



If you must access a public computer and have none of the other choices at hand – fear not! There are ways of fooling installed Keyloggers. It will take a bit of effort but is surely worth the while.

While basic Keyloggers do just that – logging your keys – you could use an OnScreen Keyboard to copy/paste the letters and put in your credentials this way. Windows comes with it’s own built in (Character Map); but it isn’t the best of ways and will trick only the simplest one, as it uses the copy/paste method via the Clipboard.


More sophisticated Keyloggers also record and monitor your Clipboard, the place where you copy and paste text or pictures or the letters from Windows’ OnScreen Keyboard. Gotcha again!

It’s better to download and use an OnScreen Keyboard to that Public PC which prevent copy/paste recording as well. The smallest program in this list is only 8 kbyte which should be possible to download and start in most Internet Cafes.



One way to do it without all preparations is this:
Just open the page you want to login to and navigate to the login form. Type the first letter of your user credentials and click somewhere else outside the form (but not outside the current window!), so the cursor disappears. Now type a series of random/meaningless characters. Those will not appear in the form, but will still be recorded by the Keylogger. Now click back to the input field and type the second character. Click out again type a few more random character. Continue this until you are finished and press submit. 


Happy Surfing 
Regards, 
Amol Kuber

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