Keyloggers, a short word for Keystroke Logging, is a very scary system that hackers can use to secretly monitor and capture all keystrokes, mouse clicks, passwords, visited web-pages and launched applications; tracks received and sent e-mails and lots more. It can even takes screenshots of the computer activity! Keystroke logging can be achieved by both hardware and software means. Hardware key loggers are commercially available devices which come in three types: inline devices that are attached to the keyboard cable, devices which can be installed inside standard keyboards, and actual replacement keyboards that contain the key logger already built-in. If you search keyloggers in Google, youll find tons of results. There are free keyloggers and also paid keyloggers which offers much more advanced keylogging system.

You will not notice the presence of such program. It is invisible in the Task List (when you press Ctrl-Alt-Del). It will not show in Task Bar, let alone your Desktop. It does not make any noise, your system will not slow down as in the case of spyware. But the key logger silently records all the keystrokes and puff before you know it, your password has been changed and your credit card number has been used to make fradulent purchases.

Some people use keyloggers for good purposes and some abuse it. Thats why we need to learn how to beat the keyloggers in order to protect our information from being stolen. If you think you dont have keylogger on your system, then it might have one. You can only be sure that you are safe from keyloggers after youve read this article.

Web Based On Screen Keyboards
Some website such as Citibank has an on-screen javascript keyboard which you can use your mouse to click the character. This way, you can avoid using your keyboard. There is no need to install anything because everything is loaded from the website. If youd like to implement an on-screen keyboard on your website, please visit the links below.
1. JavaScript Virtual Keyboard by Dmitry Khudorozhkov.
2. Javascript VirtualKeyboard by WingedFox.
- In my opinion, WingedFoxs Javascript VirtualKeyboard is much better than Dmitrys JVK.

Program On Screen Keyboards
If you want to use an on-screen keyboard on a website but the on-screen keyboard is not available, you can download and use program type of on-screen keyboard. Usually the on screen keyboard program is very small in size and free to use.

1. Neos SafeKeys

- Neos SafeKeys is only less than 8KB. You type your password by clicking each button on the keyboard of this application (with your mouse). Your password will appear, letter by letter, in the text box at the bottom of the window (within a ****** password mask). Select the text with your mouse and then drag-drop it onto the password box on your online form. Good thing about Neos SafeKeys is the utility changes width and height each time, as well as its placement on the screen (to fool mouse-loggers, buttons will always be in different positions each time you use the program). Nothing is stored in the clipboard (clipboard loggers cannot save the password). You can use upper-case letters and symbols (such as !@#${}) by pressing the CAP button - no matter how complex your password is, the utility can type it.

2. MiloSoft Virtual On Screen Keyboard

- A simple on screen keyboard.

3. Click-N-Type virtual keyboard

- You can choose a from a few different types of keyboard layouts.

4. Mouse Only Keyboard v1.4 (MOK)

- To avoid key loggers you can enter the password using only the mouse. This method protects you even against hardware keyloggers, or other keyloggers not supported by MyPlanetSoft Anti Keylogger. When the program is started, it deactivates all system-wide clipboard viewers, so you can safely copy passwords around different applications.

Important note: Please do NOT use Windows On-Screen Keyboard. It is pretty useless and keystrokes will be captured by keyloggers.

Encrypt Keystrokes
Another way is to encrypt your keystrokes at the keyboard driver level, deep within the operating system. So no matter what you type on your keyboard, the keylogger only records encrypted characters.

1. QFX KeyScrambler

- When the encrypted keystrokes reach your browser, KeyScrambler then decrypts them so you see exactly the keys youve typed. Keyloggers can only record the encrypted keys, which are completely indecipherable. There are 3 versions of KeyScrambler and one of them is free. The free version of KeyScrambler can only protect your logins on all websites. If you want more advance features, you have to purchase the professional or premium edition.

2. I Hate Keyloggers

- I Hate Keyloggers will disable this hook mechanism so the text will never reach the key logger program. Consequently, it will break some other programs that rely on this hook mechanism, but I Hate Keyloggers provides a hotkey combination to quickly disable or enable typing protection.

Detect Keyloggers (Anti Keyloggers)
There are programs that can detect some but not all keyloggers. So Id recommend you to try all of them. Please take note that hardware keyloggers cannot be detected by software below. Please do not depend on anti keyloggers so much because there will always be new techniques which anti-keyloggers cant detect.

1. SnoopFree Privacy Shield 1.0.5

- SnoopFree Privacy Shield is not another scanner product. Its a powerful shield that guards your keyboard, screen and open windows from all spy software. The way it works makes it virtually impossible for any spy program to work on your computer.

2. MyPlanetSoft Anti-Keylogger v1.5

- The worlds smallest fully functional anti keylogger. Deactivates all existing system-wide keyloggers. Absolutely free. Ideal for use in any public environment such as internet cafes. No installation required, just download, unzip and run. Serves also as anti clipboard logger.

3. KL-Detector v1.3

- Use KL-Detector to find out whether your activity is being recorded without your knowledge. It claims that it is designed to be able to detect all keyloggers. And its free.

4. PSMAntiKeyLogger

- PSMAntiKeyLogger is a real-time protecting tool which protects you against not only Keyloggers but also Screen/Form capturers. It can be compared to SnoopFree except that it is a bit outdated.

Anti-Virus, Anti-Trojan and Anti-Spywares will detect keyloggers by signatures. As for firewall, it doesnt stop keyloggers from logging your keystrokes but it can prevent the keylogger from automatically sending the logs to the person who installed the keylogger. Also do take note that hardware keyloggers cant be detected by any of the software above. So you must be extra careful and always use the on-screen keyboard when youre using a public computer.

Phew! Finally Im done writing about defeating keyloggers¦ It has taken me whole day to write this!