Keyloggers- a threat or a joke?

[Marioalexsan]

While looking how to have a better security for my account (my first purchase changed many things lol), I saw that there is a type of malware (Keyloggers) which can steal your passwords and login information.

My question is:
Are they a big threat? Like can they, once got inside, instantly steal your login info with your next log into Steam?

[ReBoot]

A keylogger logs every keyress. Every password you type. Is your question a trick question.

[Marioalexsan]

Originally posted by ReBoot:

A keylogger logs every keyress. Every password you type. Is your question a trick question.

No, but i suppose this thing (the malware type, not OS side) is dangerous.
Like, you still don't know this thing is on your computer, then your first login, then BAM! your account is stolen.

[ReBoot]

Kind of, yes. Just imagine you allow a random stranger write down everything you type.

[Marioalexsan]

Originally posted by ReBoot:

Kind of, yes. Just imagine you allow a random stranger write down everything you type.

*Will run virus scan every time before loggining into steam.*
lol

[ReBoot]

Remember to use a live CD created on a guaranteed save PC for scanning.

[Muppet among Puppets]

Only load from trusted sources.
Keep programs up to date.

There are any kinds of malware. Even those which can make your computer inoperable physically.
Antivirus only can see what it knows.

[HLCinSC]

Also, you can have a keylogger for awhile before you see there is a problem. The longer it is on your computer without you knowing the more likely you are to enter additional personal info, payment info, other credentials and other stuff besides just Steam.

[gleofrocga]

Keyloggers can come in the form of hardware and software, but usually hardware keyloggers are used in companies where the owners or managers can monitor the employees.

Usually for example a keylogger disguised a "Steam hack" or anything like that would attempt to look for your Steam Credentials, but if there is a trojan or backdoor it would attempt to steal alot more information, including payment and personal information.

It can sometimes be hard to detect keyloggers especially if the anti malware/virus software is detecting it by behaviour, as keyloggers can be used for legitimate purposes.

Unless you are absolutely sure you have removed any keyloggers, or don't have any you should probably format your drive, maybe not so much for a simple keylogger, but if it was a backdoor then you can't tell if your system would be safe to use after infection.

[Nirnias]

While keyloggers are common enough on the interwebs. Only people with very bad security awareness or no basic Anti Virus software in use ever become a victim to them. I once reverse engineered a piece of malware and found that it would stay active on a machine for X amount of time, and every time an internet connection was established it would communicate with a server and upload the stolen details, it would also download any new instructions the programmer of the malware added to the host file on the server. Funnily enough the host server had a real name and email address associated with it so it was relatively easy to track the individual down and press charges.

Installing any basic/free anti virus like BitDefender, Nortons, McAfee, Kaspersky etc, will pretty much guarantee you protection against such things as those types of malware have code in them easily recognised and identified as malware and are therefore then quaranteened and removed from the system when found.

Keyloggers and similiar malware would not even be in the top 10 of security vulnerabilities. To answer the original question whether they are a threat or a joke. Yes they are a threat to the unwary, but it is a joke if anyone ever gets data stolen from them from one because it is so easy to be guarded against.

[Marioalexsan]

Thank you all!
Good that i have MalwareBytes.