Key Loggers - What are they and why are they dangerous? ... and a FREE utility to prevent them from working!

A key logger is a software program that records every keystroke you make with your keyboard.  Some companies install key loggers on their employees' computers to monitor whether employees are doing their work or playing on the Internet, etc.  Also, some parents install key loggers to monitor what their children are doing on their computers when mom and dad aren't looking.  Depending on your views about rights of privacy, these policies may be acceptable or unacceptable to you.  That's between you and your employer or parent, and none of my business.  However ....

There's another type of key logger installation that is illegal and extremely dangerous and certainly no one wants this on their computer!  This type is installed when you go to some website, open some email, or leave some port open on your computer and this key logger is installed without your knowledge or consent. The purpose of this key logger is to record the keystrokes you use when entering your password or other confidential information either in emails or at a website.  It then "phones home" to whoever installed it and supplies your confidential information to them.

If you unknowingly have one of these key loggers on your computer, your passwords are no longer safe; your credit card numbers are being stolen; and anything you type is shared with the computer that installed the key logger.  And, in most cases, this occurs without any indicator to you that it is happening.  It's silent and deadly.

There are a few ways you can prevent key loggers from being installed, but most programs that do this cost money and because they must scan every download into your computer, they can greatly slow down your computer's performance.  Many of them make it literally impossible to do any web surfing because they block so much.  And, even more importantly, because these key logger creators are so clever, many programs miss them and don't actually prevent their installation anyway. So, I've found a FREE alternative that solves this problem without affecting your computer's performance at all.

The Anti Keylogger Shield does not prevent the key loggers from being installed, but it simply prevents them from doing their job.  Therefore, it doesn't prevent you from surfing websites or downloading stuff.  It doesn't slow your computer down. But, if a key logger is installed on your computer, it simply won't be able to do it's job.

Thanks to Amic Tools for this great little free utility.  With this installed, I feel much safer when I type confidential stuff on my computer.