What Is a Keylogger Trojan?
A keylogger Trojan is a type of virus that infects a computer through programs downloaded on the Internet. While there are many types of viruses that cause a range of issues for a user, a keylogger Trojan is usually not destructive to files or data stored on the computer. However, the danger with a keylogger lies in the possibility of information and identity theft.
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About Trojans
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A Trojan is a type of virus that is named after the Trojan Horse from the tales of the Trojan War. Like the Trojan Horse, this virus makes itself appear to be a software or tool that is appealing to a computer user in order to trick the user into downloading and installing it. Trojan viruses, including keyloggers, require users to manually install the virus on their computer. Once the virus has installed, it begins to run the keylogger process.
About Keyloggers
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A keylogger is a type of software that monitors and records the user's keystrokes and keyboard input. Keyloggers can be installed for security reasons, such as monitoring a child's use of the computer. However, a keylogger Trojan is a part of a virus that has been unknowingly installed on a user's computer. Once installed, the program will gather and report things typed by the user, such as user names, passwords, personal information and even credit card information.
Infection
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A computer becomes infected with a keylogger Trojan when the user installs unsuspectingly installs the virus, usually from a file downloaded on the Internet. These files are most often downloaded from online Peer 2 Peer sharing networks, Web page pop-ups, email attachments or instant messaging systems. The user installs the Trojan believing it is a completely different program or tool and is unaware that the keylogger has been installed instead.
Removal
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Keylogger Trojans, like most Trojans, are often difficult to detect and remove once installed. Keyloggers will often show up as a process in the Windows Task Manager and may need to be shut down before a virus scanner can detect and remove them. Depending on the type of keylogger, you may be able to remove it with a standard free virus or malware scanner such as Avast, AVG, Spybot Search and Destroy or Malwarebytes. Once you have removed the virus, if you feel that your security has been compromised by the keylogger, take the necessary steps to change your password for websites and programs that you use.
Prevention
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The best prevention for a keylogger Trojan is to use caution with files downloaded from the Internet. If you need to download a program, be sure you get it from a secure website or trusted source. Always scan a program file with a virus scanner before you choose to install it and never install a program that seems suspicious. Also, keep your virus scanner definitions up to date to help protect against the newest threats on the Internet.
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