How to Identify & Remove Keylogger

Secure your computer so no one can keep track of what you type.

Keyloggers are programs that record your keystrokes and report them back to either the creator of the program or the computer's administrator. Many keyloggers are used by parents to help monitor their children's computer use, but many others are malicious, and are designed to steal your personal information. They are capable of recording your passwords, email addresses, bank information and more. It is helpful to know how to identify and remove them if the need arises, or if you simply want to check your computer's security.

Instructions

1. Download and run an anti-spyware program such as Ad-Aware, SpyHunter or Spybot: Search and Destroy. Use one (or more, to be extra sure) of these programs to scan your computer for any keyloggers. Keyloggers are often added to anti-spyware databases, so these can help detect them for you. However, since every database will differ, using more than one program can help find keyloggers that another may have missed. When the scan is complete, if there are any results, delete any of the malicious applications.

2. Press the "Ctrl," "Alt" and "Del" keys simultaneously to open "Windows Task Manager." Look under both the "Applications" and "Processes" tabs. Look through both lists for any unfamiliar or strange applications. If you see any you don't recognize or think look suspicious, type the name into a search engine to look for results. If you find that one is a malicious program, select it, then click either "End Task" or "End Process" (depending on what tab you're in). Keep note of what you searched for; some search results will offer tips on how to remove it manually, but trying a system scan will generally pick it up.

3. Expand the view of the small icons in your taskbar to view them all. Some keyloggers run in the background, but may have an icon hidden in the taskbar, so view each one. Hover your mouse over each one to view its tooltip; if it doesn't have a tooltip, right click on each one to see its menu. At the very least, you should be able to find out the name of the program, which will allow you to search for it online and look for removal options.

4. View your list of installed programs. Some may show themselves here even if they run in the background. As before, search online for any program names you don't recognize, just in case.

5. Verify that the keylogger(s) have been removed completely by running another scan of your computer. Every malicious program should be gone, but if for any reason there are still any remaining programs, delete them from the anti-spyware program's control panel on the scan results page.

6. Change all of your passwords, bank information (such as PINs) and any other information you may have typed on your computer at some point. There is no telling how much data was gathered, so be safe by changing everything you can think of as soon as you can. Check your bank statements and emails to make sure nothing was changed without your consent.

Resources

• 2-Spyware.com: Remove Keyloggers