This invasive malware was used by professional hackers to enter the devices of the numerous public figures they were spying on. This malware infected the point of sale (POS) terminals of hundreds of restaurants (mainly in the US), gathering the bank details of thousands of customers.Īnother example with a different focus was EyePyramid, a cyber-espionage campaign that threatened the security of numerous Italian state agencies in early 2017. The case of PunkeyPOS highlights the devastating effects that keyloggers can have. With this information, hackers can then impersonate the user in order to steal sensitive information or carry out fraudulent financial transactions. They are designed to collect confidential data entered through keystrokes, especially bank account numbers and passwords and PINs. Unlike other types of malware that delete data or encrypt files and then demand a ransom, keyloggers are designed to go unnoticed while they record the user's actions, thus making them difficult to detect.

An attacker could, for example, trick a victim into clicking a malicious link from which the keylogger is secretly downloaded. Keyloggers are normally installed on devices along with other harmful programs, such as Trojans or viruses. Software-based keyloggers, are not only common, but can also affect any device that is not adequately protected. Hardware-based keyloggers are unusual, as they require physical access to the victim's device.

There are two types of keyloggers, depending on the method used to record keystrokes: software and hardware. Keyloggers are used to gain illegal access to confidential information, such as personal data, credit card details, passwords, etc.

The term 'keylogger' refers to a malicious computer program that secretly records the keystrokes that a user makes on a computer.

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