Malicious Keyloggers Run Rampant on Net
By Paul F. Roberts
Keylogging programs are the epitome of online stealth, and they’re also a mushrooming problem on the Internet, where identity and intellectual property thefts are fueling an explosion of key-capture tools.
ADVERTISEMENT Reports of new keylogging programs soared higher this year, as part of a wave of multifunction malware with integrated keylogging features, according to VeriSign Inc.’s security information company iDefense Inc. The programs often evade detection by anti-virus tools and can be difficult to detect once installed, experts warn. However, at least one anti-spyware company believes that reports about the danger posed by keyloggers are overstated.
More than 6,000 keylogging programs will be released by the end of this year, according to projections by iDefense. That’s an increase of 2,000 percent over the last five years, company officials said.