Keyloggers are also known as keystroke loggers. This is a program that runs all the time on your computer from the minute that you start it up. It is a technology that records every one of your keystrokes over a period of time and exposes them to the keylogger’s author, thereby giving them easy access to every piece of personal or confidential information you may have typed. Think about everything you type in a day. Various passwords, credit card information or financial account numbers, your home address, your social security number—there are plenty of things you type into your keyboard that you wouldn’t want someone else to be able to see. Keyloggers are often part of the malware, spyware, or an external virus.

There are many different kinds of keyloggers based on diverse keylogging methods. These include hardware and software keyloggers. Software keyloggers can be built into rootkits or other less detectable forms and can infiltrate a computer in various ways. Hardware keyloggers can be fitted into the line from a keyboard to a device. Other more esoteric forms of keyloggers like “acoustic keyloggers” that record the sound of a person tapping on a keyboard and work out the tiny difference in the sound that each key makes. keyloggers can also be used for several relatively legitimate purpose, for instance, businesses or employers may install keyloggers to monitor how their computers are being used. However, keyloggers are most commonly used to steal information.

The best way to protect yourself from keylogger programs is to install anti-virus or security software that warns you when any new programs are being installed. You should also make sure no unauthorized people have access to your computer. This is especially true in work environments. You can also periodically check the current processes running on your computer to make sure no keyloggers or other malware programs are active.