What is ‘keylogging’ and how does it work? The new banking scam that could empty your account
The threat of keylogging, or the use of keyloggers in online scams underlines the need for robust digital security to protect personal and financial data.
The digital age brings with it numerous technological advances to help us in our daily lives, but our digitally connected lives have also made us vulnerable to online scams that have become more widespread. Thousands of increasingly active cybercriminals mean that we are constantly on the lookout for possible thefts, not only of financial assets, but also of personal data.
Among the hundreds of online scams that occur every day, “keylogging” or the use of “keyloggers” has become one of the most used and dangerous. This new technique consists of monitoring the keystrokes that victims make on their mobile device, with the aim of learning the password of their bank account and being able to carry out a robbery.
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The use of keyloggers: A danger difficult to detect
A covert technique used by cybercriminals is to install software or hardware on devices without the user being aware in order to invade them, using a virus or phishing attacks, and attack the victim by stealing their personal data.
However, the big challenge when trying to detect these programs is that they tend to behave like completely normal applications, not standing out among other files. As a result, antivirus programs may fail to detect them during scans due to these programs’ ability to hide effectively.
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Also, since they do not affect the performance of the device, it is difficult for the user to notice anything amiss.
To protect yourself against keylogging, it is recommended that you enable two-factor authentication on your accounts, which provides an additional layer of security. Use strong passwords that include numbers, capital letters, and special characters, and keep your antivirus and anti-malware software up to date.
Also, avoid clicking on links or downloading files from suspicious emails, regularly review your banking transactions for unusual activity, and consider using virtual keyboards and password managers to reduce the risk of your credentials being captured.