The Many Uses of Keyloggers
As if the world of computers wasn’t already complicated enough, keyloggers are another proverbial log thrown on the fire of confusion and debate. Keyloggers are invisible software installed onto computers for the purpose of surveillance. Since they don’t affect system performance, they usually go undetected in logging every keystroke. Much debate has been sparked surrounding the existence of keyloggers and their uses for both good and evil. To understand the reasons for controversy, one must first be introduced to its potential uses.
The Parental Spy
Instead of “cleaning” a child’s room and rifling through their journal while they’re at school, a parent can now keep tabs on their offspring via a keylogger. By secretly installing a keylogger program onto the family computer, every website visited and email written can be monitored and recorded.
For many, this seems a blatant invasion of privacy, for others it is a last resort to gain knowledge of their child’s activities. Some argue that using a keylogger to spy on a child is a fundamental breach of trust. Unfortunately, some feel it is a necessary evil.
The Productivity Gauge
Keyloggers are one of the many methods used by employers to gauge their employee’s productivity levels. The keylogger keeps track of what the employees are doing on their computers during the workday and sends up-to-date reports to their bosses.
Some employers actual warn their workers that they are being monitored. This is done as a preventative measure to deter employees from straying away from work-related tasks in the first place.
The Law Enforcement Mole
Keyloggers are also used for espionage by law enforcement. Just as phone tapping has long been utilized, keyloggers are another line of defense against criminals. Keyloggers are especially useful for catching hackers and online scammers.
Spyware
Some keyloggers are considered spyware. This type of keylogger is surreptitiously attached to a useful file by a hacker. When an unsuspecting Web surfer decides to download the file, perhaps a song or free toolbar, they also end up with the keylogger.
These kinds of keyloggers can come from downloads, spam email, pop-ups, and file-sharing sites. While many spyware programs have a detrimental affect on the computer’s performance, keyloggers work silently to gather information without alerting the computer user.
The biggest issue that has arisen from the hacker created keyloggers is identity theft. As these keyloggers gain passwords, bank account numbers, and other important personal information, they send it back to the hacker, who undoubtedly has plans that will harm the person from whom they have stolen.
The Keylogger Debate
For the aforementioned reasons, keyloggers have sparked a maelstrom of debate. While they can be used for vital surveillance purposes, they are also misused and sometimes create more harm than good.
The pervasiveness of hacker-created keyloggers has made it necessary for computer owners to install anti-spyware software. This takes care of the problem for most people, hopefully before anything drastic has occurred. The number of programs out there offers PC owners and companies a good defense against ever being infected by a keylogger.
In today’s technological world, personal privacy has become harder and harder to protect. Keyloggers are just another method with which to corrupt that sacred virtue.
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