Keylogger - What It Is, How to Delete It, Best for Windows, Mac, and Mobile

Keyloggers are tools capable of intercepting and storing any input from the keyboard and, therefore, any key pressed by the user: that's all you need to know

Imagine writing the most incontestable love messages using your pc keyboard or smartphone and someone, hidden on the other side of the screen, can read everything you type. This is what keyloggers are able to do, tools capable of intercepting and memorizing any input coming from the keyboard and, therefore, any key pressed by the user.

What are keyloggers

We could translate keylogger with Key (Key) and Recorder (Logger), then keylogger (with a somewhat rough translation). These tools in fact (software or hardware) allow you to record all the keys pressed on a computer keyboard, and therefore to record any information entered, such as passwords, internet searches, and any key pressed on keyboards.

A technology used for parental control, such as by companies for employee monitoring. But that cybercriminals have the opportunity to use to steal sensitive information from us. The most popular data are, of course, those relating to the username and password of our financial services.

Types of keyloggers: What they are and how they work and infect the victim's computer

There are two types of keyloggers: hardware and software. The former necessarily require physical access to the keyboard of the person who will be monitored, but they are also the most effective because they are independent of the operating system. In practice, they consist of an electronic device that can be hidden directly inside the keyboard, or connected to the communication cable between the keyboard and the computer. In the latter case, they have the appearance of an adapter or extension cable, so that it is difficult to identify them. Today some of them are able to transmit the data they are able to obtain through the Net or to be remotely controlled.

Software keyloggers, on the other hand, are computer programs developed to capture keyboard inputs, which are installed on the computer or smartphone. They are categorized as malware, i.e. computer viruses, and can infect our devices by exploiting the vulnerabilities of the operating system or a browser, or through emails disguised as files (apparently safe) that we are invited to download, or through ad hoc modified applications. So just one click is enough to auto-install a keylogger.

How to find out if there is a keylogger on my device and how to delete it

Understanding if a keylogger is installed on your device is not always easy. As for the hardware keyloggers, the only way to identify them is to check the keyboard, even internally, and the cables connected to it. Once the device has been found, just physically remove it. If we talk, however, of keylogger software, a good updated anti-virus that carries out periodic scans, detects a malware, and removes it, is a good antidote.

But some of these particularly sophisticated systems get out of control. This is why it is essential to monitor network traffic and processes running on your computer or smartphone, through the appropriate control panel. Help in this task comes from programs such as Malwarebytes Anti-Rootkit, free downloadable software for Windows operating systems, or Norton Power Eraser, a computer analysis and cleaning tool designed to remove particularly insidious threats.

When we can find the keylogger, the way to get rid of it is to uninstall it. As a last resort, it is recommended that you format your computer.

Another solution is to use a virtual keyboard, ie those keyboards that appear on the PC screen and that can also be used through the mouse. These keyboards are in fact not affected by keyloggers, and it is, therefore, possible to enter passwords and other sensitive data in a more secure way and with less risk of being spied on with a keylogger.

The best keyloggers for Windows and Mac

One of the best free keyloggers for Windows is Revealer Keylogger Free. It is able to record the words written on the computer keyboard, using any program: from e-mail to notepad. In this way, it is also easy to reconstruct access data to websites and social networks. A decisive point in its favor is the very simple to use interface, to which is added the ease with which those who use it have the opportunity to hide the activity of the keylogger from the spied person: in fact, it will not appear in the list of programs. installed neither in the system tray.

On Mac let's move on to Hoverwatch. We have the option of a three-day free trial. Then we have to switch to a subscription service that is calibrated by categories: personal, family, or business. Prices range from 20 to 149 dollars - approximately - per month, depending on the devices we want to monitor: from one to twenty-five. Afterward, just install an app and we will see the information that the keylogger is able to capture on our Hoverwatch account: all messages, even those not sent, written via email, Skype, or Facebook; all passwords. Not only that, Hoverwatch takes periodic screenshots of the Mac screen and can track any activity on the Internet. The software is “perfectly hidden”, they assure on the site, “nobody can spot it”.

Find the best antivirus to protect from a malicious keylogger.

The best keyloggers for mobile and smartphone

Two very popular keyloggers for mobile devices are Kidlogger and Highster mobile, two software that is used for parental control, that is, parents use them to monitor their children's digital activities. Both work effectively when running on Android operating systems. And they allow, among other things, to monitor all texts typed on the smartphone. While for iOS, which is the operating system of Apple iPhones, it is more difficult to find keyloggers and the existing ones have very limited functionality.