Identifying and Neutralizing Keyloggers in Windows Environments with Effective Detection Tools

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Is someone managing to get the log of the keystrokes you type remotely?

If you’re concerned, you need a reliable keylogger detector to catch that.

Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links

If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

What is Keylogger?

Keylogger is a type of software or hardware used to capture every keystroke input from a user’s keyboard. It then creates a log file (most likely encrypted) and sends it to the master. And by master, I am referring to the person who planted it on a victim’s computer.

If there is a hardware keylogger, generally attached to a USB port, it is visible and easy to detect. However, keylogger software is usually difficult to locate, as it is often hidden and operates completely in the background.​

How to detect if Keylogger is installed ?

1. Go Through Running Processes

Even if the software program runs in the background, there must be a process running on the Windows system. You can open task manager and take a look at what processes are running.

If you are a tech-savvy person, it should be easy for you to notice any suspicious processes on the list.

However, for everyone else, the chances are slim that you’ll find it.

The reason is that keylogger developers won’t name the program process as “keylogger.”

That wouldn’t just be obvious, but also pretty dumb, in my opinion.

They will generally name it something to appear legit like “system_doc” or “win-process.”

2. Monitor Network Connections Using Firewall

As the keylogger records keystrokes, it collects them and sends logs to a remote location.

This implies that an internet connection is used to transmit this file.

You can use applications like Windows Firewall Control to look up programs using a network connection. They can also be used to set rules to disallow unknown or unauthorized programs to connect to the internet.

By doing this, you may be able to stop any keylogger from transmitting data to a hacker. However, this method doesn’t guarantee that you have blocked the correct process. Also, if there are multiple ways of file transmission using different processes, you are out of luck.

3. Use Keylogger Detector

Instead of making attempts manually that may not end up with assured results, it is recommended to use a reliable keylogger detection tool.

We will be using MalwareFox, which is actually an Anti-malware solution but has an Anti-keylogger module built in.

MalwareFox Keylogger Detector

1. Download MalwareFox and install it.

Download MalwareFox

2. Let it update to the latest signature database. It should do that automatically, but in case it doesn’t, please do it manually by clicking on the “gear” icon to enter the setting, followed by clicking on “Check for Updates” option.

3. Come back to Home screen of the application and run a full scan.

MalwareFox will start scanning all the files on your computer. This process will take a while.

Upon finishing the scan, the results of all the detected infections will be displayed in the form of a list.

For all the malware detected, this program will automatically choose a suitable action –whether it’s quarantine, remove or repair.

4. You have an option to change the action, however, it is recommended to click the “Next” button and let the program decide.

MalwareFox will now remove all the files and registry keys related to keylogger and other malware (if detected). While removing, it may ask you to reboot the computer system, as some files cannot be deleted in normal mode. On the next boot up, it will delete those files before executing anything else.

5. Upon restart, MalwareFox will display the list of malware infections, including keylogger.

You have successfully detected and removed the Keylogger from Computer.

If this procedure doesn’t work, restart the computer in Safe Mode with networking and re-scan completely.

Note: Keyloggers are not always Spyware

In the above case, we considered keylogger to be a malicious program used to spy and misuse a user’s data. However, this is not always true.

Parents may install keylogger on a computer to monitor their child’s activity. Employers can use it to monitor their employees. So, there are some legal and legit uses, too.

Keyloggers are not restricted to recording keystroke input only. They are also capable of taking snapshots of a screen to capture the computer’s exact running environment.

There are keyloggers that can even take control of webcams and take a user’s picture while they are working on their computer.

Although keylogger programs are promoted as a monitoring tool for parents and employees, they are mostly abused. There are often cases of a jealous boyfriend spying on his girlfriend or people using them to catch cheating spouses.

No matter what the case may be, you should ensure complete protection against keyloggers before it’s too late.

23 thoughts on “How to Detect Keyloggers?”

1. 
   Frederick J. Locklear

April 18, 2017 at 12:11 pm
A jealous boyfriend/girlfriend could have installed it? So you don’t have to be a skilled hacker to install a keylogger? What gives?
Reply

• 
  Paulette T. Fries

April 20, 2017 at 12:32 pm
Yes and no, you need to be a skilled hacker to create a keylogger from zero, but you don’t need to be one just so that you can install it on a computer. If you get your hands on one all you have to do is to install it on your SO’s PC after configuring it and you’re done.
Reply

• 
  Super Gizmomen
  August 27, 2019 at 11:05 am
  Hey Is there a program that stops hackers from hacking your facebook account?
  Reply

2. 
   Aubrey G. Lemons
   April 19, 2017 at 9:10 am
   Why would anyone want to do that? I mean, by keylogging you can see the websites that the victim visits or the messages that he is sending but what for? How could this help a purpose in any way? (apart from spying on your SO)
   Reply

   • 
     Kimberly T. Harmon

   April 21, 2017 at 2:23 pm
   Because they can earn money. If you’re using an e-banking service and you have an email/password to login, then the keylogger would show them to the hacker and he would be able to login to your account and send the money to his account. Of course, he would take the appropriate precautions to avoid getting caught, I never saw anyone doing something like that without taking security measures.
   Reply
   *
   William J. Brown

     [April 24, 2017 at 6:12 pm](https://tools.techidaily.com/malwarefox/products/)  
     Makes sense.  
     [Reply](https://tools.techidaily.com/malwarefox/products/)  
   

   • 
     Catherine V. Williams

   May 1, 2017 at 10:17 am
   It’s actually an easy way to earn money you know? All you have to do is to track the username/password of a bank account and that’s it, free money. Getting away with it is hard of course but I’m just saying.
   Reply

   • 
     john

October 1, 2019 at 8:44 pm
People do this to blackmail the people they are electronically spying on…
Reply

• 
  Trevor de Beer
  March 31, 2021 at 1:39 pm
  WRT Facebook the main aim would be to track your movements – e.g. if you use FB to plan a holiday, the person controlling the keylogger knows when you are out of town – great time to break into your residence and clean you out.
  Reply
• 
  Michael Wells
  October 1, 2021 at 8:22 am
  Because you can steal passwords. It logs key presses and mouse clicks, so it would log you signing in to Gmail, for example, and copy your password. Same with banking info, ANYTHING that you type or click on.
  Reply

3. 
   Sharon B. Wilson
   April 26, 2017 at 2:20 pm
   Has anyone noticed that when an article about privacy is published the 99% of the those who leave a comment are women?
   Reply

   • 
     Leann J. Higgins

   April 28, 2017 at 3:51 pm
   It’s only natural, unlike men we got things that we like to keep to ourselves. “Giggles”
   Reply
   *
   Joe J. Wade

     [May 4, 2017 at 7:08 am](https://tools.techidaily.com/malwarefox/products/)  
     Both man and woman like to have some privacy, and most certainly no one wants a Keylogger in his PC.  
     [Reply](https://tools.techidaily.com/malwarefox/products/)

4. 
   Karen
   April 27, 2017 at 1:12 pm
   Nice and informative article, thanks.
   Reply
5. 
   Marie M. Reck

May 2, 2017 at 1:34 pm
This is creepy in so many ways.
Reply
6.
Ken

February 28, 2019 at 5:19 am
I just had this experience by a fb friend/ somebody from Australia sending me a flash drive with music on it that resulted in my credit card being hit for $1200 worth of computer equipment being purchased and shipped to Australia.
Reply
7.
KDU
January 24, 2020 at 8:12 am
Real help is needed for women in abusive situations. I wish there was a hacker club across the world sort of like Anonymous, to protect women from narcissistic husbands, boyfriends, stalkers. Yes, men deal with crazy women too. It is not easy, actually nearly impossible to escape the insanity. They always know your next step, control the money, and your movements. Keylogging and cameras in your house are not against the law! The world is becoming increasingly dangerous. The WWW has provided a way to hold a person hostage in their house and no one ever knows. I wish you computer geniuses would do local computer checks if nothing else for the halo effect for those who could use your expertise.
Reply

• 
  Jdeming
  February 20, 2020 at 7:02 pm
  Not necessarily true I would think most “people” that would use something like this I don’t want to say against; but to validate the truthfullyness (George W. Word combinationising here) their partner to know that there not dealing with an abusive or narissistic individual. And, in way shape or form are they attempting to control anything let alone your “next step, control the money, and your movements. ” Trust me as a man that’s the sole income provider for a family of 5 , I don’t have a lot of time laying around and if your not comfortable with the income providers control of the money then I suggest you go and get a job and if you have and something like that is going on then that’s your own mistake not the opposing genders. But, back to the topic our society is almost setup in a way that produces and incourages narissistic, sociopath type ideals and there’s more now than ever dare I say to an extent we all are narissistical wired; but when you provide everything for someone and they repay that with resentment, disrespect and harsh critism and out if the blue stop having sex at 33 because theyre not interested in it anymore (bullshit, then why would they be fapping all day got the tape recording to prove it maybe alittle more) then they there goes the emotional intimacy too, oh what let’s throw in some silent treatment and a non existent busy schedule. And, you keep asking what’s wrong what’s going on and all you get for an answer is oh nothing’s wrong why and you go thru the list I just gave(the short one) and your gaslighted as a crazy person and made to feel like someone just pulled a slight if hand on a street shell game on you because you’ve walked away feeling somehow like it was unreasonable to want to discuss why your needs are the only ones going unmet within the group. And, yeah to get answers you’ll go to any lengths so you know you have been used this whole time and if so at least you the information to make a decision how you want the rest of your life to go and not only but maybe something to help with getting some custody of the children you both raised but someone would rather use as leverage or income guarantee.
  Reply
  *
  Alex Flemmings
  
  October 18, 2021 at 4:42 am
  You’re overthinking it. Trust your gut about the situation and realize that all these things listed in the past can’t be changed now. Only the future can be changed. Focus on a future that you feel would be right for the situation and start moving towards it. If you try to fix all the little mistakes in the past, it’s going to be a waste of time. If the relationship can’t continue existing without being toxic, it’s time to move on.
  Obviously, I have no way of knowing all about the specifics of your situation, so take my words with a grain of salt. But the point of this life is happiness. Focus on a future that can create that in yourself so that you can extend your happiness to the other people in life who also can be sources of happiness for you as well. If you give time to people who only give back unhappiness, it will come to consume you into darkness.
  Reply
  *
  Recovering Woman of Abuse
  December 14, 2021 at 4:37 pm
  WTHeckers? This is not a Rant and Rave site. 😶🙄😳
  But, for a millisecond I thought I was reading someones Blog about??? Their personal demands not being met by a SO. Comments made unjustifiably towards a woman who is or was in an abusive relationship. 😣😡😠
  What gives you the audacity and self serving 🤳🤳🤳right to go on like this? What a complete and utter jerk! 🤪
  Now that you’ve vented… please go and Donate to your nearest Battered Womens/Mens Shelter and then… Download Malwarefox Free and scan your phone, computer and any other devices in your home for any hidden crap that might be spying on YOU! Sorry KDU you had to receive that kind of reply to your comment.
  You stated that you do not have a lot of time laying around but obviously you have found a spare bit of time to post a comment that is NOT about malware 🤔🤔🤔 But tried to bring your personal baggage to the wrong forum. Good luck to you Jdeming.
  Reply
  *
  Jdemins is a NARC

     [January 26, 2022 at 3:40 am](https://tools.techidaily.com/malwarefox/products/)  
     Ladies and gents, this Jdeming guy here is a perfect example of an abusive malignant NARCISSIST. He believes the fact he supposedly “takes care” of his mate means he has the right to spy on her. Just like a typical narc. They think they own their SO, and have a right to overstep their boundaries and personal right to privacy. It is a HUMAN RIGHT to have privacy. It is NEVER someone’s right to take away someone else’s privacy. I don’t care what you think they are doing behind your back! You DO NOT have a right to spy on them and violate their human right to privacy. I agree with the OP that there needs to be something done to help women because more and more of us are becoming victims to the same kind of POS as this Jdeming malignant narcissist. I am currently dealing with the same scenario, and have a stalker who won’t leave me alone or take no for an answer. I told him to leave me alone multiple times, and instead of leaving me alone, I got cyberstalked for over 6 months, with this creep intercepting private calls, emails, texts, photos, videos, etc, and had to upend my entire life and move and spend a bunch of money just to try to escape his spying, and it is STILL ongoing almost 2 months later trying to get my life back to normal. This is complete BULLSHIT, and women should have way more options to deal with creeps like this. I am having a very hard time, and if I get any justice it will be a miracle from GOD because these cyber crimes are very hard to catch someone in, and then when they are caught, the laws are not there to prosecute them the way they should be. WOMEN: let’s raise awareness about this and try to find a way to come together. Yes, I know men are victims of this too, but they are nowhere near as vulnerable as women in general.  
     [Reply](https://tools.techidaily.com/malwarefox/products/)  

• 
  Asi anna
  February 18, 2021 at 11:14 am
  Real help is needed for women in abusive situations. I wish there was a hacker club across the world sort of like Anonymous, to protect women from narcissistic husbands, boyfriends, stalkers. Yes, men deal with crazy women too. It is not easy, actually nearly impossible to escape the insanity. They always know your next step, control the money, and your movements. Keylogging and cameras in your house are not against the law! The world is becoming increasingly dangerous. The WWW has provided a way to hold a person hostage in their house and no one ever knows. I wish you computer geniuses would do local computer checks if nothing else for the halo effect for those who could use your expertise.
  Reply

8. 
   DKitty

February 18, 2020 at 9:23 am
Hi, I have MalwareFox Antimalware on my Android phone and it runs a full scan daily.
I saw your instructions on Keylogger Detector and have a question. If the scan automatically checks this then what is the Anti-Keylogger App and how do I find the license key?
This is a great app and I appreciate the information provided as well.
Reply

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