A Guide to Keylogger Programs
How Activity Monitoring Can Check Online Actions at Home & at Work
Sep 21, 2009
Although keylogger programs have had some bad press, having been appropriated as spyware tools by many, this software remains intrinsically useful in some applications.
There are situations where people need to monitor the activity of others. Employers, for example, can use a keylogger to monitor their staff and parents to keep an eye on how their kids use the Internet. So, how do these programs work?
Keylogger Programs and Activity Monitoring
A keylogger can be a piece of hardware connected to a system or a simple software program that is installed on to a computer. In both cases it is designed to:
- Monitor the keystrokes (i.e. the typing) made on a keyboard.
- To store the retrieved data in reports that can be accessed by the program administrator allowing them to see what the computer user has been doing/typing.
These programs can be visible to the user so that they will know that they are running on the system or can be set up in stealth mode. In this case the user may have no idea that they are being monitored.
What Are the Benefits of Using Keyloggers?
In some instances having a keylogger in place can be useful. It can be hard to know what users do on computers and, whilst privacy may well be a consideration, there are situations where monitoring activity in this way can be beneficial. For example:
- An employer can monitor employee activity. This could be useful in cases of suspected fraud or criminal activity. It may also be used to enforce company policies on Internet usage.
- A parent can check whether their child is practising safe surfing. This could help avoid issues with stalking and grooming on chat rooms and ensure that they are not accessing sites that they should not be looking at.
- Any user can use a keylogger as an instant back-up. If they lose work or cannot find a password, for example, then they may be able to retrieve lost data quickly and efficiently.
The question of whether to use a visible keylogger or one in stealth mode is open to debate and really depends on the individual user and the situation. Many parents, for example, do not want their kids to know that they are being monitored so won't tell them that a program is in use.
Some employers, on the other hand, will use a program as a preventative measure. A company could, for example, ask employees to limit personal surfing or email sending to lunch hours and could be open about their use of keyloggers to monitor activity to enforce this.
Where to Find Cheap Keylogger Software/Hardware
Although there are plenty of paid solutions to choose from in this sector it may also be worth noting that some keyloggers are available to download free. There are a variety of freeware and shareware solutions to choose from here.
Although these may not come with all the features and benefits of off the shelf solutions, many will be more than adequate for basic activity monitoring needs.
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