Comments for Is there a way to bypass keyloggers?

Comment from chesscanoe on 2011-03-12

2011-03-13T02:27:04Z

Several banks including mine suggest their customers install Trusteer Rapport to provide a potentially useful additional security level. As you point out, no single approach is perfect, but I think it's beneficial to at least some degree, and its overhead is negligible. Their help desk is articulate and actually helpful from my limited personal experience.

Took a quick look at its product page and I don't see any mention of keystroke logger protection. It does appear to do some valuable things, but your bank must support it.

13-Mar-2011

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Comment from johnpro2 on 2011-03-08

2011-03-08T22:27:05Z

PC security at the moment is terrible ....
Both MS and Intel know this ..
The future is possibly embedding the operating system into the CPU as read only .

Physical key loggers and wireless sniffers also need work....even so criminals are not about to give up yet.

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Comment from robertpri on 2011-03-02

2011-03-02T19:20:31Z

I look for comments on my method but yet to see anything. I don't know if it works or not. I have all my passwords in a simple text file, which is then protected by a long, complex pw. Okay, i know that can probably be cracked.

However, I do things differently. One, the user name\site and password do not line up. The username\site might be line one, but the pw for that site is line 25. No two line up.

Two, I copy the pw's and then paste them into the site. I do not use keystrokes. So, would that defeat loggers?

Opinions?

There is no technique that is guaranteed to bypass keyloggers. Copy/Paste in particular is no good, as all the keylogger needs to do is trivially capture the copy of the clipboard when you hit paste.

04-Mar-2011

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Comment from Saetana on 2011-03-01

2011-03-02T06:34:14Z

I use a piece of free software called Keyscrambler (I'm using IE 9), this encrypts all login details/passwords as I am entering them. Obviously I use a security suite (Microsoft Security Essentials) plus Threatfire free version for backup but I like this add-on for a little additional security ;o)

As noted in the article and in my replies on other comments there is no tool that will protect you from sufficiently sophisticated keyloggers or malware. I'm concerned that people are getting a false sense of security and as a result dropping their guard.

04-Mar-2011

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Comment from MK on 2011-03-01

2011-03-01T19:21:12Z

I DID read the article but it doesn't address the issue of keyscrambler. Do YOU know what keyscrambler does? If so, why wouldn't it work to thwart key loggers?

a) Keyloggers log more then keystrokes. b) Keyloggers can insert themselves infront of keyscrambler to catch the unscrambled keystrokes as entered. c) Keyloggers can insert themselves after keyscrambler to catch the unscrambled keystrokes as they are passed to the application that needs them. d) Keyloggers can act as malware and capture the data as it passes throught the application and out to the network.

04-Mar-2011

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Comment from MK on 2011-02-23

2011-02-23T14:45:15Z

What about keyscrambler from [link removed]?

No. Read the article.

23-Feb-2011

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Comment from david on 2011-02-23

2011-02-23T08:42:57Z

check out lastpass.com Provides a secure vault on your computer where passwords and other sensitive data can be stored. Access to this vault is by master password that requests a further password through a usb key that you buy from lastpass.com This key generates a random one time only password that lets you access the vault. Even if this password is copied it cannot be used again. This means no key - no access.
Once in the vault, a click on the name of the site causes lastpass to automatically log you in - no key strokes whatsoever. Further info from the lastpass site.
Thoroughly recommended. cheers, David

"no key strokes whatsoever." is missleading. These tools work by mimicing keystrokes to the various forms and tools into which the password must be entered. Malware can still capture anything that lastpast (or any other similar tool) can do. They DO NOT bypass advanced keyloggers.

23-Feb-2011

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Comment from lightshadow on 2010-09-10

2010-09-10T21:10:34Z

* Use one computer (or virtual system) to access the internet (and to update) - it is your sandbox, playground ... etc

* Use another clean computer (or virtual system) to access your trusted online sites.

* Use a third clean and closed computer (or virtual system) to do your work, this computer should only get data files from the outside, and in a secure way (e.g. don't use flash cards, or LAN connections form live system(s). Copy directly from the hardware (e.g. offline hdd), and only the needed data), if your work needs to run an executable or install something, do that on a hosted virtual system, where you install your updates/software, and pass the needed data to be used, remember the third system should be in complete isolation, and never to be connected to the internet or updated :)

play it clean, play it in the shadow.

take care

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Comment from Lee Guptill on 2010-08-31

2010-08-31T14:07:57Z

This may be a really dumb question, but couldn't you install Captcha on your machine to defeat keystroke loggers?

I don't understand how that would help. Captcha would be performed and the logger would log what you enter thereafter or as part of it.

02-Sep-2010

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Comment from Carlos Coquet on 2010-04-13

2010-04-13T22:53:16Z

http://ask-leo.com/is_there_a_way_to_bypass_keyloggers.html

Here is a reasonable way to avoid keyloggers and malware of other sorts. At home, I use my notebook computer (Windows XP SP2) for all my work and finances and have a separate (desktop) machine for accessing the Internet. Viri can destroy that machine if they want, I can quickly recreate it from a True Image backup. I transfer anything I want on my notebook computer via flash card or very temporary LAN connection between the two.
I connect my notebook computer to the Internet only to access extremely safe sites, like banking, insurance, and the like and when I am on the road (using Cricket�s wireless broadband. I never use someone else�s machine or network to access anything of consequence.)
Seems to work. I have not had a virus issue for years. Then again, it may be in part because even with my desktop (Internet) machine, I don�t go to �popular� places, like networking social sites, music swapping, etc. I once in a while look someone up in FaceBook or visit YouTube. (It�s not a precaution, they just don�t interest me.)
A side benefit of using dial-up like Internet access, like wireless services from Cricket, Sprint, Verizon, et al is that each time you reconnect, you get a brand new IP address. That is very useful in many circumstances.

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Comment from Burt Kaplan on 2010-03-24

2010-03-24T16:47:15Z

What if your pasword is enterted by Dragon Naturally Speaking?

It's still converted to text somewhere, and thus capturable.

26-Mar-2010

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Comment from Rocco on 2010-03-23

2010-03-23T23:50:03Z

While using "KeyScrambler" I see it does encrypt the keystrokes but the actual Un-crypted keys are still shown on the screen and those can be recorded by spy screen detectors.

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Comment from Martin Welfeld on 2009-04-19

2009-04-20T05:06:28Z

While traveling I need to use unsecure public access computers in the US, Europe and Asia to access financial accounts. I want to go with a secure USB drive solution, but don't know if that exists.

I know that products such as an Iron Drive offer password protection for stored files (how safe is that?) and file encryption. If I activate the "Remember Me" function on the various sites using the portable browser from Firefox it seems that I would only need to enter a password, which raises the keylogger issue.

I have heard of but am not familiar with the use of images for passwords. Can you comment on this and any existing applications for that purpose?

Does that seem to improve safety from keylogger capture and later account penetration?

Some, but not really. If a keylogger is installed on the system you're using, it could easily log whatever keys or mouse movements you use to access whatever is on your thumbdrive. If you *boot* from the thumbdrive, a hardware keylogger could still collect everything. Public access computers are scary.

- Leo
20-Apr-2009

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Comment from Dave Vogl on 2009-01-13

2009-01-13T16:30:32Z

Check out the free program at http://cloakpass.com as it is portable, free, and has a good web site. It defeats keyloggers and other forms of password problems.

Color me skeptical. Anything installed on your machine can be defeated at some level.

- Leo
14-Jan-2009

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Comment from Mike on 2008-02-22

2008-02-23T06:40:17Z

I have Key Scrambler Pro. It supposedly "scrambles" your keystrokes when typed. Key Scrambler claims that the only thing that a "keylogger" would get is a bunch of random characters/numbers rather than plain text. I believe it is worth checking out, and/or using.

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Comment from Maurice on 2008-02-22

2008-02-23T02:14:12Z

Please have a look at KeyScrambler (there is a free version) at http://www.qfxsoftware.com/ - I would be interested if these comments are applicable to that software. Thx

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Comment from Anthny on 2008-02-18

2008-02-19T04:59:02Z

There are at least few programs that can block or delete keyloggers. They are called 'anti-keyloggers' and there are two basic types of them. The first type are those that have a signature base and the principle of their work is based on scanning of your PC and comparing the files found with the ones that are in anti-keylogger's signature. (As an example you can take a any anti-spyware product).

The second type of anti-keyloggers are those, that use methods of heristic analysis. So the main principle of their work is the behavioral analysis. So, they do not have signatures, as they just don't need them. The main advantage of such kind of signature-based anti-keyloggers is the ability to protect both against known and unknown keyloggers, as they all have the same principle of work. So such kind of anti-keyloggers will help you when the first type of them will not(As an example of behavioral anti-keyloggers you can take PrivacyKeyboard).

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Comment from Chris Buechler on 2008-02-18

2008-02-18T20:49:01Z

Exactly. This line of questioning is all too common among IT security people even. When a machine is compromised, anything can be done to it including what was outlined above.

You need to first do everything you can to prevent systems from being compromised, and second, have means of detecting and responding to compromises. Worrying about what can happen once a system is compromised is pointless, because the answer to that is "anything".

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