键盘记录器或击键记录器是网络犯罪分子用来秘密记录您计算机上的每次击键的偷偷摸摸的程序。主要目的是收集您的敏感信息，如密码或登录信息，并将其发送回黑客。
最初，键盘记录器用于跟踪员工在计算机上的活动，但这很快变得有用，不仅对黑客有用，而且对使用键盘记录器监控其网络访问者活动的互联网营销人员也有用。( internet marketers who use keyloggers)
与其他黑客程序一样，键盘记录器可以通过互联网安装在您的计算机上，之后黑客可以(hacker can figure out your logins)在屏幕上看不到您的不同站点的登录信息。
他们可以通过解析您键入的所有内容来选择密码等敏感数据来做到这一点，您通常会让您的计算机记住这些数据，以便您更快地登录。此类数据作为cookie 保存在您的计算机上(cookies on your computer)，这使黑客更容易获得它。
键盘记录器的工作原理(How a Keylogger Works)
有几种类型的键盘记录程序，具体取决于它们连接到您的计算机(how they attach to your computer)或浏览器的方式，例如嵌入到计算机操作系统中的 rootkit 病毒，或在低得多的级别上运行的虚拟机监控程序恶意软件。尤其是这两个通常很难摆脱，因此它们继续运行而不被吓倒。
键盘记录器也因其操作方式而闻名。例如，如果您访问此类页面，有些会感染网页并窃取您的数据，而另一些会作为隐藏扩展附加到您的浏览器，通常逃避反恶意软件的检测，并报告通过应用程序进行的每次击键。
以上是基于软件的键盘记录器，但也有硬件键盘记录器，例如计算机上的额外插孔、键盘覆盖层或其他不太可能在家中使用的硬件。
与黑客将互联网平台与我们应该更加关注的病毒类型相比，被其中一种攻击的可能性非常小。
键盘记录器如何安装在计算机上(How a Keylogger Is Installed On a Computer)
键盘记录器通常作为特洛伊木马(Trojan)的一部分安装在您的计算机上，伪装成有用的实用程序。下载并安装该应用程序后，它要么工作，但将恶意软件滑入您的计算机，或者无法按承诺工作。
安装键盘记录器后，它会在您每次启动计算机时继续运行，并记录您在网站上特定字段上的击键，或您在计算机上的每次击键。
发生这种情况是因为特洛伊木马(Trojans)通常作为一个捆绑包运行，其中包含处理专门任务的不同元素。第一个特洛伊木马(Trojan)可能是下载器的形式，它允许黑客将恶意软件加载到您的计算机，而键盘记录器记录您的击键，另一个程序通过网络发送您的信息。
如果您想阻止键盘记录程序安装到您的计算机上或在您的计算机上运行，最好的机会是在安装前通过强大的反恶意软件(strong anti-malware software)来阻止它。
然而，对于一些使用它来监控孩子活动的企业或父母来说，键盘记录是一种正常的例行程序，这就是为什么它经常被安全软件忽视的原因。更糟糕的是，作为更新的一部分，键盘记录器通常会设法逃脱反恶意软件的检测。
所有这些都使阻止键盘记录器进入您的计算机变得更加困难，因此您应该对通过互联网下载到计算机上的任何免费应用程序或程序更加警惕和怀疑。
如何检测和删除键盘记录器(How To Detect & Remove a Keylogger)
与通常会降低计算机速度的间谍软件和其他类型的恶意软件不同，键盘记录程序不会。(spyware and other types of malware)事实上，你甚至都不知道它在运行，所以它并不那么容易被发现。
您计算机的任务管理器(Task Manager)可以向您显示任何可能在您的计算机上运行的不良软件，但要检测键盘记录器，您需要一个更适合该任务的程序。
检测和删除键盘记录器的最佳方法是结合使用强大的反键盘记录器和反 rootkit 软件，与防病毒或反恶意软件实用程序相比，它可以找到并消除键盘记录器。
反键盘记录程序通常会审核您计算机上运行的所有进程，包括后台应用程序和服务、操作系统以及所有其他设置。
然而，一个专门的反键盘记录程序本身并不足以清除键盘记录程序，因此您需要一个反 rootkit 程序并可能执行全新的操作系统安装。
您可以使用的一些最好的反键盘记录程序包括SpyShelter和Zemana。SpyShelter仅在Windows计算机上可用，并且当它一直运行以检测并阻止键盘记录器安装到您的计算机时效果最佳。
除了预防之外，它还提供了多种针对键盘记录器的防御机制，例如扫描您的计算机操作以查找可疑活动并尝试将其删除，或者对您的击键进行加扰和加密，以便它们对键盘记录器无用。
Zemana是另一个反记录软件系统，它提供了一个反恶意软件套件，包括恶意软件扫描程序、广告拦截器、加密执行器和勒索软件保护。
它不如SpyShelter强大，但它也是一个仅限 Windows 的程序，并且在后台运行，监控任何可疑活动，执行定期系统扫描，并扫描您的下载和安装程序以查找恶意软件。
您还可以使用反 rootkit 程序从计算机中删除 rootkit。一些不错的选择包括 Malwarebytes、McAfee Rootkit remover 或Bitdefender Rootkit Remover。
反 rootkit 程序是您的第二道防线，专门的反键盘记录系统不起作用。
Malwarebytes是一款免费使用、仅限 Windows 的反 rootkit 程序，可通过您的计算机操作系统运行，扫描各种 rootkit 病毒和键盘记录程序。它还执行按需系统扫描，或者如果您愿意，您可以执行完整扫描并重新启动计算机以应用更改。
您还可以尝试免费的、仅限 Windows 的McAfee Rootkit Remover，它提供按需扫描并删除它检测到的任何 Rootkit，包括键盘记录程序。
结论(Conclusion)
如果您怀疑您的计算机可能安装了键盘记录器，您可以首先检查您的任务管理器(Task Manager)是否有任何可疑进程，或者使用反键盘记录器和反 rootkit 软件来帮助您扫描并清除它。
与往常一样，预防胜于治疗，因此对您下载的应用程序或程序、您访问的网页要格外小心，重要的是，保持您的操作系统和浏览器以及其他软件更新以阻止任何攻击。
HDG Explains: What Is A Keylogger & How Do I Remove It From My Computer?
A keylogger, or keystroke logger, is a sneaky program used by cyberсriminals to covertly record each keystroke mаdе on your computer. The main aim is to harvest your sensitive information like passwords or logins, and send it bаck to thе hackеr.
Originally, keyloggers were used to track employees’ activity on computers, but this quickly became useful not just to hackers, but also to internet marketers who use keyloggers to monitor the activities of their web visitors.
Like other hacker programs, keyloggers can be installed on your computer over the internet, after which the hacker can figure out your logins for different sites without seeing it on the screen.
They’re able to do this by parsing through everything you type to pick out sensitive data like passwords, which you’d normally have your computer remember for you to log in faster. Such data is held as cookies on your computer, which makes it easier for the hacker to get it.
How a Keylogger Works
There are several types of keyloggers depending on how they attach to your computer or browser like rootkit viruses, which embed themselves into your computer’s operating system, or hypervisor malware that work at much lower levels. These two in particular are usually hard to get rid of, so they continue operating undeterred.
Keyloggers are also known by how they operate. For example, there are those that infect webpages and steal your data if you visit such pages, while others attach to your browser as hidden extensions, often evading detection by antimalware, and report each keystroke made through the app.
The above are software-based keyloggers, but there are also hardware keyloggers like an extra jack on your computer, a keyboard overlay, or other pieces of hardware you’re less likely to be subjected to at home.
The chances of being hit by one of these are very slim compared to the virus type that hackers lace internet platforms with that we should be more concerned about.
How a Keylogger Is Installed On a Computer
Keyloggers are often installed on your computer as part of a Trojan, which masquerades as a useful utility. Once you download and install the app, it either works but slips malware onto your computer, or it fails to work as promised.
Once the keylogger is installed, it’ll keep running every time you start your computer, and records keystrokes you make on specific fields on websites, or each keystroke you make on your computer.
This happens because the Trojans usually operate as a bundle with different elements handling specialized tasks. The first Trojan could be in the form of a downloader, which allows the hacker to load malware to your computer, while the keylogger records your keystrokes, and a different program sends out your information over the web.
If you want to prevent keyloggers from getting installed onto or operating on your computer, your best chance is to block it before installation by having strong anti-malware software.
However, keylogging is a normal routine for some businesses or parents who use it to monitor their children’s activity, which is why it’s often overlooked by security software. What’s worse is there are keyloggers that come in as part of an update, which usually manage to escape detection by antimalware software.
All these make it harder to prevent the entry of keyloggers to your computer, so you should be more vigilant and skeptical about any free apps or programs you download over the internet onto your computer.
How To Detect & Remove a Keylogger
Unlike spyware and other types of malware that would ordinarily slow down your computer, a keylogger doesn’t. In fact, you won’t even know it’s in operation, so it’s not that easy to detect.
Your computer’s Task Manager can show you any undesirable software that may be running on your computer, but to detect a keylogger, you’ll need a stronger program suited to the task.
The best method of detecting and removing a keylogger is by using a combination of a strong anti-keylogger and anti-rootkit software that can find and eliminate keyloggers than your antivirus or antimalware utility.
Anti-keyloggers usually audit all the processes running on your computer including background apps and services, the operating system, and all other settings.
However, a specialized anti-keylogger program in itself isn’t enough to wipe away the keylogger, so you’ll need an anti-rootkit program and possibly perform a fresh install of your operating system.
Some of the best anti-keyloggers you can use include SpyShelter and Zemana. SpyShelter is available only on Windows computers, and works best when it runs all the time so as to detect and block keyloggers from installing onto your computer.
It offers several defense mechanisms against keyloggers besides prevention, like scanning your computer’s operations for suspicious activities and tries to remove them, or scrambles and encrypts your keystrokes so they’ll be useless to the keyloggers.
Zemana is another anti-logger software system that provides an antimalware suite complete with a malware scanner, ad blocker, an encryption enforcer, and ransomware protection.
It’s not as strong as SpyShelter, but it’s also a Windows-only program, and works in the background, monitoring any suspicious activity, performing periodic system scans, and scanning your downloads and installers for malware.
You can also use anti-rootkit programs to remove rootkits from your computer. A few good options include Malwarebytes, McAfee Rootkit remover, or Bitdefender Rootkit Remover.
Anti-rootkit programs are your second line of defense where the specialized anti-keylogger systems don’t work.
Malwarebytes is a free to use, Windows-only anti-rootkit program that works through your computer’s operating system, scanning for various rootkit viruses and keyloggers. It also performs on-demand system scans, or if you prefer, you can perform a full scan and reboot your computer to apply the changes.
You can also try the free, Windows-only, McAfee Rootkit Remover, which provides on-demand scanning and removes any rootkits that it detects, including keyloggers.
Conclusion
If you suspect your computer could be having a keylogger installed, you could check your Task Manager first for any suspicious processes, or use anti-keylogger and anti-rootkit software to help you scan for and get rid of it.
As always, prevention is better than cure, so be extra cautious about the apps or programs you download, the web pages you visit, and importantly, keep your operating system and browsers among other software updated to block off any exploits.
