Sometimes,
there is a downside to the fact that the internet makes everything so easy.
Case in point: cybercrime. Without ever seeing you, total strangers can access
passwords and information that will give them access to your funds, credit and
even your identity. In short, any personal data that you have access to online,
from bank accounts to sensitive emails, can fall prey to a hacker.
One of the most common ways of internet fraud
is through the use of keylogging or the use of spyware to monitor every
keystroke you make. Such criminal technology is all the more sinister in that
it can be difficult to detect; however, if you are vigilant, it doesn’t take a
tech whiz to keep the keyloggers at bay.
Here are
some reliable guidelines to prevent your information from getting hacked, to
know if you are being keylogged, and what to do if you know you’re being
compromised:
Image
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Prevention and detection Know your control panel.
This sounds simple, but keeping track of your authorized programs may be all
you need to do. If there’s a mystery guest on your panel, check it out
ASAP—this may even include hardware that your computer sees, but simply does
not exist!
Regularly
“do the sweeps.” A number of routine security precautions are also reliable
ways of routing out spyware. Do regular scans with a reliable virus protector
to find possible trojans, and always make sure your firewall is up. You should
also inspect all running programs from time to time by pressing the “control”,
“alt” and “delete” keys to consult your task manager.
Always consider the source. In short, never
open a file from someone you don’t know—this includes pop-ups from mystery
contacts. Most of all, never respond to pop-ups or emails requesting you to
update your ID’s or passwords; it’s almost certainly a scam. Finally, while
this may seem slightly overboard, make a habit of intermittently checking the
web addresses of the sites you visit. Dummy sites used to harvest vital
information may be perfect facsimiles, but they will have suspicious-looking
urls.
Use the big guns. If you regularly access
particularly sensitive materials or you have reason to suspect you are a
repeated target, it would be wise to take special precautions. Certain
programs, such as Microsoft’s Process Monitor or Hijack This, will find any
invaders. You may also consider running from a virtual PC so you can leave
fewer trails for hackers to follow.
Removal If
one of the methods above sends up the red flag, getting rid of the keylogger
will only take a few steps:
Go to the
task manager and click “end process”. If you share a computer, make sure that
the program you’re removing is indeed a spy implant.
Remove the spy program by downloading a free
software removal tool—obviously, you won’t want to make an online purchase
while you’re being monitored! PC Whiz is a good user-friendly option.
Reboot
your computer and play it safe by updating your anti-spyware arsenal. Most of
them are reasonably priced or even free, but make sure you’re using a reputable
provider: some of the most devious hackers find their targets by offering fake
spyware detection.
In
some cases, spyware can be so pernicious that you’ll need a computer
professional to debug your computer; however, even the most casual computer
user can take care of things on their own. Again, the best solution is
prevention, so use the above tips to make sure you never have a problem in the
first place.
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