Cyber criminals have discovered that the keystroke logger is the perfect tool for stealing your most sensitive information. Keystroke loggers are engineered to avoid anti-virus detection and can be easily hidden inside e-mail attachments, documents and downloads, or distributed through websites you choose to visit (YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter). They are designed with one goal in mind: to capture and steal every keystroke you make.
What you can do to keep your computer safe:
- Remove local administrator rights from your user sign on, especially if you do not need to install and update Windows components or physical devices to your computer.
- Get a virus scanner. Be sure to configure it to scan your system regularly and to check for updates. (Even the best anti-virus software won't do you any good if it doesn't know about the latest virus information – so keep it updated!)
- Get an anti-spyware program and run it. As with your anti-virus software, be sure to configure it to scan your system regularly and check for updates.
- Install firewall software that prevents any unauthorised access between your computer and the Internet.
- Be sure to run the latest version of your browser software and keep it patched and up to date! Many loopholes used by hackers have already been patched by software vendors – all you need to do is stay updated!
- Keep your operating system up to date. As in the case of browsers, many hackers will try to install key loggers on your system using methods that have long since been patched by the software vendor.
- Be careful when downloading files! While your anti-virus and anti-spyware software should alert you to anything suspicious during installation, it's better to be forewarned prior to installation before a virus can cause any damage. Never download files from sites you don't trust and be wary of opening unexpected e-mail attachments.
- Keep your 2-factor token on your person at all times. In the event that you compromise your password, criminals will be unable to access the online banking system without your token.
- And lastly, never share your password. You may feel comfortable giving it to one person, but who knows what might happen to it after that.
