How to Remove a Keylogger

Online activities - and the applications you use to perform those activities - must always be kept secure.  Many security threats can affect and compromise the security of your online or network activities, including keylogging software.  If you suspect that your computer is infected with a keylogger, here are some things you should know before removing it.

What is a Keylogger?

Malicious software (malware) refers to a group of applications that compromise system security and threaten the integrity of personal or work data.  Keyloggers are a group of malware used to capture, record, and transmit your keystrokes to a remote computer.  The keylogger software can then transmit and store inputs, messages, usernames, and passwords.

Some companies may inform their employees that they use keyloggers for purposes of safety and productivity, and some keyloggers may be actually useful to prevent children from accessing harmful sites on the Internet.  Most keyloggers, however, are used to acquire personal, critical, and sensitive information from computers.

Detecting Keyloggers

Keyloggers are either manually installed by system administrators, or install themselves to computers when you visit a site that hosts the malware.  Most keyloggers are small files that are used by other users as a “backdoor” to your computer, using scripts and screenshots to transmit your keyboard and mouse inputs to a remote computer.  Here are ways for you to detect keylogging software:

• Full system scan. Most anti-virus programs and PC security suites can detect and remove keyloggers provided they have updated virus definitions.
• Browsing programs. Many security programs designed to protect children or other users from accessing restricted sites on the Internet are actually keyloggers.
• Checking for speed and performance. Keyloggers often come coupled with many other malware and viruses.  If you notice a significant slowdown in system performance, you probably have a keylogger on your system.

Removing Keyloggers

The ease or difficulty of removing a keylogger depends on how the malware was programmed.  Most keyloggers, however, are quite simple to remove provided you have the right tools:

• Anti-virus software. Many anti-virus and PC security programs include a list of common and known keyloggers in their virus definitions and databases.  If the program prompts you to quarantine or delete a file suspected to be a keylogger, then you should look over the file to see if it’s worth deleting or if it can be repaired.
• Uninstall. For keylogger programs that act as functional and useful programs, use the Add/Remove Programs function in the Control Panel.  If the active program has an Uninstall option on the Start Menu, then you should use it.

Keyloggers represent a very real threat to your computer’s security and your own personal safety.  With these tips, you can remove keyloggers quickly, easily, and get yourself back on track to safe computing.