Protecting Yourself Against Keyloggers

Those who utilize computers with Internet access in free public places such as Internet Cafes have no way of knowing if the computer they are sitting at has a Keylogger installed. These users have no reliable way of knowing if they are protected from a spy keylogger, and no alternative to typing in passwords or credit card numbers.

Here is a simple trick to help keep your information safe when using public Internet terminals.

If you are accessing sensitive information and are required to type in a password or credit card number, follow this procedure. Once you are looking at the screen that contains the password or credit card number field, open up another program that will allow you to type in characters such as notepad or wordpad (anything that will allow you to type characters will do). Because keyloggers record characters in succession regardless of where they are typed, we are going throw a few extra characters into the mix.

So now you have two windows open and you are ready to type your password. Let's choose an easy password to use as an example:

Password = lizard2

What you are going to do is start by typing a couple of random characters into the notepad or wordpad like this:

Example = 8y3

Then move to your password or credit card field and type the first or first couple of letters or numbers of your password or credit card. Continue to switch between the notepad and the actual password or credit card field adding a few characters at a time to each until you have completed adding your password or credit card number. Once you are finished, the data that the keylogger has recorded looks something like this:

Example = 8y3li8yz3ear7jd2

If you look closely, you will see the password of lizard2 mixed in with all of the other characters!