#2 Elite Keylogger for mac. Elite Keylogger is sure one of the best monitoring solutions for macOS devices. The keylogger is undetectable and records everything a Mac user types on the target device. The free version can even spy on chats like Messages, Skype, email, and more, letting you know what the computer user is up to. There are a number of programs designed to either prevent or detect keyloggers from infecting your device. Start by checking your existing security program for keylogger protection features. Examine external USB devices connected to the Mac for hardware keyloggers. Use Activity Monitor to look for unknown processes when checking for software keylogger. Check Privacy options in System Preferences for applications with too much privileges. Install tools such as Malwarebytes and MacScan and scan computer.
Keyloggers are malware designed to track your keyboard and mouse inputs. It records every keystroke and clicks to spy on your system. For example, your bank account details, pin etc. can be intercepted by keylogerrs. Given a chance, these malware connect to Internet and transmits sensitive information to its source.
If you’ve been considering Mac as a safer device, it’s probably the time to re-consider your belief in Mac’s impregnable security. It still is the more secure secure option if you pit it against Windows. But it has its fair share of issues too. So, let’s acquaint you with ways to identify and terminate keyloggers on Mac.
How to Detect Keyloggers on Mac
If you want to detect the Keylogger in your Mac PC just follow the following steps: 1. First of all download Tripwire program. This software will alert you whenever important configuration files are. You might be able to determine the presence of common, well-known keyloggers by examining certain macOS system folders. The easiest way to do that is to download and run EtreCheck, which you can read about here: Using EtreCheck. Post its report in a reply to this Discussion.
1. Activity Monitor:
Activity Monitor contains a list of real-time events occurring on your Mac. Click the Finder icon in the Dock, select the “Go” menu and choose “Utilities”. Double-click “Activity Monitor”. Click the “Process” column label to sort your activity by processes. If you spot any unusual process, check it using Terminal. You can open Terminal from Utilities and type ‘man’ followed by a space and the process name, e.g. “man sysmond”.
2. Examine the Hardware:
Many keyloggers are hidden within the tools that connect to your keyboard. This primarily occurs in offices where more people have access to your machine. If you doubt a keylogger presence but couldn’t find it with Activity Monitor, check the connection between your keyboard and computer. If you see any unnecessary wiring, fitting or a sub-box, remove it.
See Also: 14 Best Android Security Apps
3. Virtual Keyboards:
If you find it hard to identify and terminate keylogger on Mac, you can use the virtual keyboard. Keyloggers track your keystrokes. Using a virtual keyboard would prevent the detection. Though this step wouldn’t help in recognizing and neutralizing the keylogger, it would help you be safe. Open System Preferences, select “Keyboard” and check the “Show Input Menu in Menu Bar” box. Click the Input icon in the menu bar and select “Show Keyboard Viewer” from the drop-down menu. Use this keyboard until you get your computer checked for keyloggers.
Also Read: How To Take Screenshot on Macbook Pro Touch Bar
4. Professional Security Tools:
A few security software run advanced scans that may detect Keyloggers. One way of doing this involves checking files for changes and blocking suspicious connections. There’re plethora of tools available to help you detect and vanish keyloggers. Simultaneously, you can use TuneUpMyMac to clean your Mac from various unnecessary entries. Its handy and free to download. You can run a complete scan every once in a while, to avoid sheltering the unwanted and trashy items.
Download TuneupMyMac here-
5. Reset (Reinstall macOS):
When a keylogger is too impulsive to be taken out and other options have failed to remove it, you can clear and reinstall your operating system to get rid of software-based keylogger. Be informed that hardware-based and keyloggers in the firmware won’t get away by a reset. Create a backup, restart your Mac while holding the “Option” key and use Disk Utility to format your hard drive. Quit Disk Utility and then select the option “Reinstall macOS X.”
Also Read: 27 Cool Mac Tips & Tricks You Probably Don’t Know
Overall, keyloggers are evasive. There are strong chances that you fail to identify and terminate a keylogger on Mac due to their property of being camouflaged. However, practicing the above steps would significantly help you get the ball in your court. If you face difficulties, you may contact your technical support provider.
Responses
Keylogger are dangerous programs which the hackers install on anyone system to sniff password, credit card details etc. It stores every keystrokes of the person using the computer and thus in a way provides hackers some of his most important information. Some friends also install keyloggers programs just for the sake of hacking facebook password etc. Whatever be the case if you are using a computer having keylogger installed, you are at serious risk of loosing sensitive information which can lead to financial loss also. Even if its your computer, it may have been used by some creepy friend of yours who have wrong intentions to steal your data.
Below is a sample keylogger generated txt file and you can easily see how much capable it is to extract what you type on your pc.
Some people say that, its easy to find keylogger by searching for .txt files in program files, but its not true. The hacker may have delete it after sending it online. Also file formats can be manipulated.
Read:How to make a simple keylogger yourself in windows
How to detect if a Keylogger is installed on my system?
Here i am giving you simple and easy to use steps to detect any keylogger software installed on your PC.
First of all Open Command Prompt.
Now Type the following command given below in your CMD window and press enter.
netstat -ano
Once your press enter several things show up in your command prompt.
Now you will receive data in 5 columns. We are only concerned about last two columns. You have to Note down those PID whose state is established.
Here in above screenshot i noted down two PIDs which says established, the first one was 1048 and the second one was 2500.
Now PIDs may differ in your case and you have to note down your PID for yourself for further scrutiny.
Now Open your task manager and go to details tab.
How To Get A Keylogger
Now we can clearly see explorer.exe having id of 1048. Since it is an important system service, we can easily say this is a safe essential program.
Now when i scrolled back again and tried to find out process with PID 2500.
I found out that nvstreamsvc.exe is running. since i did not know for what this is used for, first of all i opened the file location and also did a google search of the file name.
What i found out is that it was a program needed for gaming and was installed by nvidia for graphics. It was also safe but since i did not needed it i uninstalled it. It turns out that my computer is not infected with a keylogger program.
Is your computer infected with a keylogger software, you follow the above steps and see for yourself. Feel free to comment about your experience or any other important findings you come across. I am more than happy to answer your queries.
Alternate ways to be safe from keylogger without checking
If you are not sure and you don’t bother to check if keylogger is installed or not on the pc which you are using each and every time, try using online keyboard for filling passwords. Its a keylogger safe method. They can not track your mouse activity. You can also opt for multiple sign in methods for further protection enabling 3rd party devices like phone or usb.
How To Check Mac For Keylogger
Another very good way for safety is to use safe mode with networking. Safe mode with networking allows only windows system files to run and stops every other thing. This is a good way to use your windows computer if you want to play it ultra safe. Although safe mode is used for debugging and system repair, but this is also one of its great functionalists which most people chose to ignore.
Saurav is associated with IT industry and computers for more than a decade and is writing on The Geek Page on topics revolving on windows 10 and softwares.