Annoyance Of Keyloggers Goes On

One of the most disturbing things happening to Internet users is someone sneaking into their online activities and following their each and every keystroke. This kind of theft has become frequent with the rise in application of keyloggers, spoofing and phishing.

In 2006, the keylogging malware grew most rapidly within Kaspersky Lab-designated category of "TrojWare". Senior technical consultant Shane Coursen says this malware is likely to grow even through 2007. Technewsworld published this on April 19, 2007.

A simple Google search for the term "keylogger software" produces over 20,00,000 hits, a majority of which describe the term as 'software for logging user's keystrokes'. As malware and spyware are widely available for buying and selling, even a beginner in hacking can develop software to monitor computers and their owners' keystrokes.

Programs that Kaspersky Lab classified as Trojan-PSWs are primarily designed to steal account information of online gamers. This threat has increased 125%, according to research analysts of Kaspersky Lab in their recent report, "Malware Evolution 2006: Executive Summary". This report is available on Viruslist.com Web site of Kaspersky.

Year 2006 remained a busy year for both the creators of malware and those warding them off. According to its report, Kaspersky estimated the total malicious programs to go up 41% from 2005. In 2006, the trojans distinctly jumped 46% over 2005.

McAfee Avert Labs, another Internet security firm released a research paper entitled "Identity Theft" in which it reported about keyloggers as a malicious program that follows a user's keystrokes by compromising either hardware or software. Although the malware is less known but it is one of the top IT security threats today and is a flourishing business opportunity for online criminals. Itbusiness published this in the end week of March 2007. In one of its key findings, McAfee determined the increase in keyloggers by 250% over January 2004 -May 2006.

Other agencies like APWG (Anti-Phishing Working Group) have detected increasing number of keylogging variants every month. Sophos also reports a continuous growth in variants of keyloggers, said Hinrichsen Jens Hinrichsen, product-marketing manager for RSA's Consumer Solutions Business Unit. Technewsworld published this on April 19, 2007.

Related article: American College of Physicians’ Website Hacked by North Carolina Businessman

» SPAMfighter News - 4/25/2007