According to study carried out by iDefense, division of VeriSign, which is a security intelligence firm, keylogger programs that record passwords and other text that is typed in on a computer are on the increase. They are reportedly used by identity thieves.
The company which made public its report on Tuesday said that the number of keylogger variants totalling 6,200 are on the loose and the figure has risen by 65 per cent in the last one year. Each variant is capable of causing a few to several thousand infections, said Ken Dunham, senior engineer at iDefense.
Keylogger software tracks keystrokes on the computer, which is used to steal sensitive information including password details and credit card information. These programmes are so stealthily installed that they are tough to detect. They can give firewalls and antivirus software the slip, according to iDefense.
Highlighting this problem, Joe Payne, vice president of VeriSign iDefense Security Intelligence Services, said: “There are so many victims because so few know the risk or the early warning signs. You simply can't stop what you can't see.”
Warning signs can come in the form of slowing down of a PC, a spurt in pop-up messages and so forth. Computers can be infected with keyloggers when a user downloads e-mail attachments, or visits a chat room or inadvertently goes to an improper web site.
These infections have grown exponentially since 2001, when iDefense was able to detect a mere 275 of them.
Ken Dunham, senior engineer with iDefense says: “There's been an explosion of keylogger code integrated into other [malicious] packages. … especially spyware and phishing e-mails.”
An attempted keylogger-based theft of 220 million pounds from the London offices of the Japanese bank Sumitomo Mitsui was foiled in March.
Other ways in which keylogging software can infect your computer is through picture files, Internet Relay Chat and programs like Trojans.
Posted
on : Thu, 17 Nov 2005 06:45 GMT | General News
By : Paula Jenkins
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