Keylogger
Keylogger
Tastatureingaben-Rekorder
A keylogger secretly records keystrokes in order to capture passwords, messages and other confidential input. It exists as software or as a small, interposed hardware device. Its goal is to read along unnoticed at exactly the point where secrets arise — the keyboard.
History & facts. Software keyloggers are often part of more comprehensive malware or spyware and transmit what is recorded to the attacker. Hardware keyloggers are physically plugged between keyboard and computer and cannot be discovered by software alone — they require a visual inspection. Because input is read before any encryption, even an otherwise secure transmission does not help against capture at the source.
Outlook & recommendation. Against software keyloggers, the usual endpoint measures take effect: up-to-date systems, malware detection and observing suspicious processes and outbound connections. Against the mere reading of passwords, the most effective safeguard is a second-factor authentication (MFA): a captured password then does not suffice on its own. Where third parties have physical access — such as at publicly accessible computers — it is also worth looking for interposed hardware.