One of the biggest internet threats today are online identity thefts, with key loggers being the biggest reasons for these thefts for happening. If you have ever been a victim of a hack like Twitter hack, or Facebook account stolen and couldn’t understand how and when, then it was most probably a keylogger.

What is a key logger?

A key logger can be a hardware device or even a software program. Its main purpose is to record real time activity of a computer, including the keyboard keys that press. When key loggers are used by malicious individuals, then passwords are stolen and credit card information compromised.

Most key loggers allow keyboard keystrokes to be captured and even screen captures from your PC. Normal keylogging software store the data on a local hard drive. However, other key logger software can automatically transmit data over the network to a remote computer or web server.

Detecting the presence of a key logger on a system can be quite difficult. Therefore, it is advisable to go for anti key logger software that can keep you safe online.

Different types of Keyloggers

There are 3 types of key loggers. Here is what you need to know about them.

Hardware Keylogger: This is a kind of key logger that is attached to the keyboard cable. This keylogger looks like a small lipstick shaped, plug and play device. One can detect a hardware keylogger by a physical inspection.

There is another kind of hardware key logger that is installed inside the keyboards and is not easily detectable. These keyloggers store all the captured data to their memory that is between 8 KB to 2 MB.

Software Keylogger: These key loggers are mainly software programs that run hidden in the background of a system and records all data to a log file. This information is then stored as an encrypted file in the computer. The software key logger uses different methods to capture data that one feeds in using a keyboard.

Kernel/Driver Keylogger: A driver keylogger works at the lowest level of the operating system. It captures the data that comes from the keyboard to the PC. A kernel keylogger alters the core software, depending on the hardware and the operating system. This kind of keylogger has full control of the computer and even has more power and access as compared to the user. A kernel key logger is extremely difficult to detect.

Anti Key Logger Tools

There are different free anti key logger tools and software available that can provide you protection from key loggers. Check out the top 5 free anti keylogger software available for download.

1. Zemana AntiLogger FreeIf you are looking for pre-dominantly an anti keylogger and no additional features, then Zemana AntiLogger Free is a good tool for it. The free version of this anti key logger software gives you a system wide keylogger guard that encrypts each individual key stroke at the system level. So, even if your information is sent back to the hacker, it will be jumbled and unreadable.

   However, if you want, you can always upgrade to the complete version of Zemana AntiLogger. Other than the key logger guard, you will also get features like malware alerts, protection from financial malware and even cloud powered malware protection, when it tries to sneak inside your system.

2. SpyShelter STOP-LOGGERSpyShelter is another free anti key logger software that not only gives you a key logger guard, but also a screen capture guard and a clipboard guard. STOP-LOGGER software stays in the background and gives you protection from malware that tries to steal your information.

   You can also go for the Premium version that is available for around $34. If you want firewall protection along with all the Premium features, then it would cost around $40.

3. NextGen AntiKeyloggerThis free anti key logger software is quite an easy to use anti keylogger tool. It doesn’t even require any antivirus database for its protection method, means that it requires less system resources for its functionality. This anti key logger gives protection against keystrokes logging and it works at the system level. It also provides encrypting keystrokes on the fly and incorporating them right into the applications. This way, hackers can’t steal anything you type.

   The free version of this anti keylogger software works only with Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari. One can also opt for the Pro version for $25. This will cover all browsers, instant messengers, email clients etc. overall, 75 programs are covered. The Ultimate version of this anti key logger software is available for $39 and gives protection to a total of 108 programs.

Verdict

The truth is that you never really get 100% preventive anti key logger tool. Hackers are constantly coming with new keyloggers and new malware to infect your system. So, to maximize your online safety, it is best to be alert and get at least one of these free anti key logger software.

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