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I hate keyloggers. Hate, hate, hate. I am not sure anyone likes keyloggers (besides the scum who use them for evil purposes). If you like keyloggers please tell me so I can ban you. I am only half joking.
To protect ourselves from scumware such as keyloggers, there are security programs such as Avira, Kaspersky, Norton, Threatfire, Malwarebytes, etc. etc. For the most part, these security programs help keep our computer safe (or at least they should). However what if you want extra protection – that extra *umph*? If you want that extra *umph*, give KeyScrambler a try.
KeyScrambler is program that “encrypts” your keystrokes so if a keylogger picks it up it has no idea what the keystrokes are. As per the developer, this is how KeyScrambler works:
When you type on your keyboard, the keys travel along a path within the operating system before it arrives at your browser. Keyloggers plant themselves along this path and observe and record your keystrokes. The collected information is then sent to the criminals who will use it to steal from you.
KeyScrambler defeats keyloggers by encrypting your keystrokes at the keyboard driver level, deep within the operating system. When the encrypted keystrokes reach your browser, KeyScrambler then decrypts them so you see exactly the keys you’ve typed. Keyloggers can only record the encrypted keys, which are completely indecipherable.
If I ever have a chat with the developer my one question to him/her would be:
If KeyScrambler can gain access to the keystrokes at the driver level what prevents keyloggers from doing the same?
Regardless of answer to the above question, I can personally attest that KeyScrambler does in fact work as the developer claims. I tested out KeyScrambler with two free, yet popular, keyloggers I know of. Both keyloggers recorded junk when KeyScrambler was on as opposed to properly recording my keystrokes when KeyScrambler was off. Of course no security program is perfect: I am sure sooner or later someone will come up with a keylogger that defeats KeyScrambler. However so far I am very impressed with this application.
Unfortunately KeyScrambler Personal, the free version, only works with Internet Explorer, Firefox and Flock. If you want KeyScrambler to work with other browsers/programs you will need to purchase either Professional or Premium. Also keep in mind that KeyScrambler is the “extra umph” – it is not to be used as your main line of defense against keyloggers. Please do not uninstall your other anti-scumware applications thinking that KeyScrambler will protect you now. If you don’t have any other security applications check out my article on 12 free security applications which will provide you with excellent protection.
All things considered, if you feel you need extra protection against keyloggers, KeyScrambler is a worthy consideration. You can download KeyScrambler from the following link (you will be prompted to install Internet Explorer, Firefox and/or Flock plugins during installation):
***KeyScrambler works on all Windows from Windows 2000 and up
KeyScrambler homepage [direct download KeyScrambler Personal]
About the author: Ashraf View all posts by Ashraf
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Wow, article after article after article.
I tried out an anti-keylogger software recently, but I don’t remember the name… I’ll let you know if I find it.
I feel inspired.
The personal version is quite sufficient for me.
Thank you very much for the info!
one thing always puzzles me about these types of program.. they say “KeyScrambler defeats keyloggers by encrypting your keystrokes at the keyboard driver level”
but what is to stop the KeyLoggers doing the same thing – and how can anyone guarantee that this KeyScrambler will get at the keyboard before any rogue KeyLogger does?
I think this is a fair review. Not fair, as in above poor, but as in just and thoughtful. Thank you, Ashraf.
@Roger u
thanks ashraf,
my concern is does KeyScrambler slower the cpu speed
I don’t believe this type of software works unless it is added in the scrypt of the specific software it is being run under or with. What I mean by that is if your typing in a browser it should tell you that it is associated with Explorer or firefox, etc. this it should be ok (Is this what the free version does – what its locked to? Also is the pro version then associated to your other programs via a menu system?) This is the only way I can see this type of program working correctly. Also there are some keyloggers out there that actually take screen shots in PNG or JPG file format and send that way as well.
Just remember the old adage, do not put anything on a computer you don’t what others to read or know about!!!!
Sure you can keep yourself safe to an extent but then again don’t always believe what you see where it’s going to protect you 100% of the time because everything is apt for programming failure…
@Roger U:
Join Date: Dec 2009
xxxxx
1 posts
Default Keyscrambler Does not Work
I have keyscrambler premium installed and have had it for over a year now.
This past Aug. I had a large sum of money stolen from one of my accounts when I tried to transfer funds. Someone keylogged my password and got into my account and transferred the funds to his Liberty Reserve acct.
I lost $14,000.00 and am not very happy with this situation. I emailed QFX about this and they just said it was not their problem.
So I would say to everyone if your transferring a large sum of money don’t rely on keyscrambler!
@Bill:
Wow. Thats very serious information…
(just read it. Thank you for letting us know)
I understand its not easy to prove that…
Let me also present another problem.
After a series of network installations my main computer started giving me a lot of blue screens of death. It was a matter of time till windows would finally crash and I was about to reinstall everything.
Before that, I checked many many things, I unistalled and re-installed a lot of applications, I tried various methods and still the blue screens were there.
Checking the logs of the blue screens, the most common issue was a driver of keyscrambler (which I had installed a lot of time ago and had no problems so far) and I turned it off.
Stability is back on my system after that!
I cant believe it, I passed through so much trouble and keyscrambler was the reason!
Perhaps it has something to do with other apps who infect the keyboard, but the result matters.
Of course I uninstalled it completely.
Afterwards, I read here on another thread that someone also had such problems with keyscrambler (working fine for a year and then a lot of problems).
Is anybody else having such issues?
“besides the scum who use them for evil purposes”
Funny thing is, Ashraf himself is quite an evil guy!! xD
Dear audience,
because of this article I am the owner of a paid license.
What I sincerely hate every single day about the program: It makes the keyboad less functional in many programs!
Have you ever used the [SPACE] key to check checkboxes, to hit the selected button, to do one-key-reading in outlook? It ALL does not work anymore :((((
Sure, one can press [CTRL] and then [SPACE] but that’s a huge difference to before. Double as much effort (I know, it listens like whining). Anyway, I HATE that behavior and I don’t think it is necessary!
Yours, Frank
ter reading last comment, and the poor lad that lost $14,000 with this installed (offered no portection) , guess I’ll pass on Key-Scrambler as I see it doesn’t work.
At the time this was first posted it worked perfectly, what happened? Time! the perfect security system design in real life never makes it off the drawing board before there is a way to beat it. The theory behind KeyScrambler is sound. It puts itself behind the recognition driver scrambling the keystroke as it’s made and there is an unscrambler inside your browser that reverses the process. At the time this program was reviewed no keylogger worked anywhere except the path between the two so perfect security (said Titanic to the Iceberg).
My best guess is that the first loophole was the browser. It’s always been the weak link in the chain. How many times have you had a new toolbar or app install itself when you’ve done nothing, or just as bad after you said no? Sometimes without you even knowing it’s done so too. How many of you know about LSO (flash) cookies that your browser can’t even detect or delete? Where a normal cookie might hold a maximum of 4 kb of info but a LSO cookie can hold 100 kb and they NEVER EXPIRE. This is where the real tracking is done. your browser is a sieve and I would guess some logger just changed his program to hide in the browser instead of one of the paths between.
This security might have lasted a week, maybe, perhaps, but that doesn’t mean KeyScrambler is bad. Face it if you have 30,000 different keylogging programs out there and only 100 of them can bypass KeyScrambler wouldn’t you use it? (No – those are examples not actual figures. I don’t know the actual figures.) Your job in security is to keep on top of it an follow a multi-disciplinary strategy. You need a strong Anti-Virus, Firewall, Anti-Malware/Spyware etc all the way down the line and KeyScrambler can be an important part of that.
BTW, there is a new personal version of KeyScrambler available, version 2.8.1.0 at Softpedia