Counter Measures for Hardware/Software Keylogger

Hardware keyloggers are used for keystroke logging, a method of capturing and recording computer users' keystrokes, including sensitive passwords. They can be implemented via BIOS-levelfirmware, or alternatively, via a device plugged inline between a computer keyboard and a computer. They log all keyboard activity to their internal memory.

Description

Hardware keyloggers have an advantage over software keyloggers as they can begin logging from the moment a computer is turned on (and are therefore able to intercept passwords for the BIOS ordisk encryption software).

All hardware keylogger devices have to have the following:

• A microcontroller - this interprets the datastream between the keyboard and computer, processes it, and passes it to the non-volatile memory
• A non-volatile memory device, such as flash memory - this stores the recorded data, retaining it even when power is lost

Generally, recorded data is retrieved by typing a special password into a computer text editor. The hardware keylogger plugged in between the keyboard and computer detects that the password has been typed and then presents the computer with "typed" data to produce a menu. Beyond text menu some keyloggers offer a high-speed download to speed up retrieval of stored data; this can be via USB mass-storage enumeration or with a USB or serial download adapter.

Typically the memory capacity of a hardware keylogger may range from a few kilobytes to several megabytes, with each keystroke recorded typically consuming a byte of memory.

[edit]Types of hardware keyloggers

Close-up of an inline PS/2keylogger.

A connected hardware-based keylogger.

1. A Regular Hardware Keylogger is used for keystroke logging by means of a hardware circuit that is attached somewhere in between the computerkeyboard and the computer. It logs all keyboard activity to its internal memory which can be accessed by typing in a series of pre-defined characters. A hardware keylogger has an advantage over a software solution; because it is not dependent on the computer's operating system it will not interfere with any program running on the target machine and hence cannot be detected by any software. They are typically designed to have an innocuous appearance that blends in with the rest of the cabling or hardware, such as appearing to be an EMC Balun. They can also be installed inside a keyboard itself (as a circuit attachment or modification), or the keyboard could be manufactured with this "feature". They are designed to work with legacy PS/2 keyboards, or more recently, with USB keyboards. Some variants, known as wireless hardware keyloggers, have the ability to be controlled and monitored remotely by means of a wireless communication standard.^{[citation needed]}
2. Wireless Keylogger sniffers - Collect packets of data being transferred from a wireless keyboard and its receiver and then attempt to crack the encryption key being used to secure wireless communications between the two devices.
3. Firmware - A computer's BIOS, which is typically responsible for handling keyboard events, can be reprogrammed so that it records keystrokes as it processes them.
4. Keyboard overlays - a bogus keypad is placed over the real one so that any keys pressed are registered by both the eavesdropping device as well as the legitimate one that the customer is using.^[1]

[edit]Countermeasures

Denial of physical access to sensitive computers, e.g. by locking the server room, is the most effective means of preventing hardware keylogger installation. Visual inspection is the easiest way of detecting hardware keyloggers. But there are also some techniques that can be used for most hardware keyloggers on the market, to detect them via software. In cases in which the computer case is hidden from view (e.g. at some public access kiosks where the case is in a locked box and only a monitor, keyboard, and mouse are exposed to view) and the user has no possibility to run software checks, a user might thwart a keylogger by typing part of a password, using the mouse to move to a text editor or other window, typing some garbage text, mousing back to the password window, typing the next part of the password, etc. so that the keylogger will record an unintelligible mix of garbage and password text^[2] See also Keystroke logging countermeasures.

The main risk associated with keylogger use is that physical access is needed twice: initially to install the keylogger, and secondly to retrieve it. Thus, if the victim discovers the keylogger, they can then set up a sting operation to catch the person in the act of retrieving it. This could include camera surveillance or the review of access card swipe records to determine who gained physical access to the area during the time period that the keylogger was removed.

Source WIKIPEDIA

Source Link: "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardware_keylogger"

Speed up XP in 2 Simple Steps

Want to speed up Windows XP on your computer? Simply turn off indexing and turn off hibernation and you would have speeded up your computer.

Turn off Indexing

Try this only if you rarely use Windows built in hard drive search, since it will work slowly after this fix.
Windows XP indexes files on your hard drive and stores them in memory to speed up the Windows Search. By turning off indexing, we free up memory and CPU horsepower to increase speed.

How to Change IP Address?

How to change my IP address? The Internet Protocol (IP) address of a computer on a network is the unique address (at that point in time) that a computer is identified by in a network. It is also the layer that sits atop the TCP/IP layer so that packets can be sent along to this address.

There are two types of IP addresses:-

• Static IP: This IP address is assigned by the network solely for a computer and does not change every time the computer is connected to the network. This is to ensure same settings are applied in a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN) or even a Personal Area Network (PAN). These settings remain intact and thus ensure that the computer gets access to all the data it needs very fast. This type of IP address allocation is used by expensive broadband customers, or by express desire.
• Dynamic IP: This IP address is allocated by the network router by using the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). This protocol dynamically allocates an IP address to the computer when it connects to the network, from a pool of IP addresses. This kind of allocation is used in most broadband services as this reduces costs for the Internet Service Providers (ISP’s). Thus the IP address of the computer changes every time it connects to the host servers.

How to Clean a Dirty CD

Do you know how to clean a CD? Every time you keep your CD outside the pouch, there is a high possibility that the CD could get dirty, smudged or fingerprinted. And the problem with most of you is that you want to clean it but you don’t know how to clean it in such a dirty condition.

Photo by Violets and Handshakes (under CC)

Cleaning Dirty CDs

For all those who want to clean a dirty CD with minimum effort in the cheapest way, follow the process with simple steps given below in order.

How to install Ubuntu Linux

Wondering how to install Ubuntu Linux? So, you finally decided to give up on the Windows or Mac OSX world and make a switch over to what could be considered the fastest growing operating system to date? Good. Ubuntucaptures all of what you could ever need in an operating system and packs it into the best installation package out at the moment. From media players, email and instant messaging clients, and a place to type up documents, Ubuntu has it all natively and it’s more than a piece of cake to grab an installation disc and get to work.

Install Ubuntu Linux Easily

Step 1: The first thing you need to do before actually installing the operating system is to get hold of the installation disc. The disc requires a DVD drive and a blank DVD-R to copy the disc to. If you’re unable to burn the disc to DVD, you must order one. But, the beauty of ordering one is that because the operating system is free, you don’t have to pay a dime for anything more than shipping. Go ahead and download or order an installation disc.

10 Tips to make your PC run smoothly

How to to make your PC run smoothly? Personal computers have become an inherent part of our lives and are very helpful in keeping the personal as well as business data safe and secure. To ensure that a PC continues to work fine, it is necessary to perform various maintenance activities.There are numerous tools available in the market like computer maintenance software and tools to help you to keep your computer and data safe. This article discusses some useful tips that will help you keep your computer running smoothly.


Click Read more: 

3 Funny Computer Pranks

1) Warning Message

Here is one of coolest joke programs called Message Manager Lite. This program allow you to setup a message dialog for display on another user’s computer and it is great for making someone think an error has occurred on their computer. How you can use it ? For example, when you have access to friends computer, download Message Manager Lite and install it, write warning message and set the time for displaying. It looks like this :

How Google Works?

Google runs on a distributed network of thousands of low-cost computers and can therefore carry out fast parallel processing. Parallel processing is a method of computation in which many calculations can be performed simultaneously, significantly speeding up data processing. Google has three distinct parts:

• Googlebot, a web crawler that finds and fetches web pages.
• The indexer that sorts every word on every page and stores the resulting index of words in a huge database.
• The query processor, which compares your search query to the index and recommends the documents that it considers most relevant.

Let’s take a closer look at each part.

Blogger VS Wordpress

 
So the question is who is better? Blogger or Wordpress? Lets find out. This article will help you to choose one. :)

Are you confused with which blogging platform to choose to start your blogging career? The major blogging hosting platforms are no doubt Blogger and WordPress. Now to judge which one is better I have written a detailed comparison chart below that will be of great help in making a smart decision.


A Great Chart, Thanks To MBT (My Blogger Tricks dot com).

---

FEATURES	BLOGGER	WORDPRESS	WHO WON?
Template Customization	Offers Free Layout/Style Sheet Customization	No style sheet customization. Payment required	Blogger
Tutorials/Help	Innumerable Tutorials on Blogger Tricks	Hardly some	Blogger
Number of un-official Themes	Innumerable Designers Creating Free Templates each day	Few Designers Involved in offering free templates	Blogger
Coding Used	Uses user friendly scripting and coding i.e HTML, XML, CSS	Uses advance scripting like php that few can understand	Blogger
Dashboard Interface	Highly user friendly. Easy to navigate.	Complicated Interface with hectic navigation	Blogger

You know you are a Geek IF

Read it full, Some of these aren't that good, but most of them are !! :)

1. You'd rather communicate with people via e-mail, text messaging, instant message, or Twitter, then face to face, because "it's just easier that way."
2. If you've ever used "Joshua" as a password and thought you were being clever.
3. 16GB flash drive "just doesn't hold enough."
4. You buy a gadget just for the thrill of hacking it.
5. You say phrases like "Make it so!" and "These aren't the droids
   you're looking for", when you talk to people.
6. You write "text" in blocks of "140 Characters."

Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement

Updating ESET Smart Security For Free

There are many security software's available in the market, but the most effective ones are not free, they are for 30 days trial or so. If you want good level security for your pc i recommend you Eset Smart Security. Ofcourse its not available free but here is a trick that will help you get it without paying a single buck.

First visit Google, And search for 'Eset smart security keys'. You will find some sites, visit any of them, there you will find many usernames and passwords. Now open a new window or tab in your browser and do the following:

How to use Third Party Themes on XP

Introduction
You will find many third party themes on the internet, but they wont work on your windows xp. If you want those cool third party themes to work, You must download a tool called UX theme patcher. (google it and find the one which suits your windows service pack).

UX Theme Patcher
UxTheme Multi Patcher is a very nice little utility that will patch your Windows XP so that you will be able to use 3rd Party Msstyle themes without requiring any additional software. This utility does a simple little trick by patching the uxtheme.dll file which is responsible for changing your Windows styles.

How to make Windows 'Startup' Faster

When your pc starts it loads up programs with it, which makes it a bit slower. So to speed up, you can remove the programs which are not required from the start up list. You can choose the programs you want to run at startup just by following these instructions:
1. Go to start menu, Click Run.
2. Type 'msconfig' in the Run dialog box. And press Enter.
3. System Configuration window shows up.
There you click start up tab (tabs are located on top).
4. You can disable the unnecessary programs or click disable all. (I recommend you keep your antivirus checked in the start up list).
5. Apply and restart.

The Apple God Passed Away (Steve Jobs)

Steve Jobs is dead. The Apple chairman and former CEO who made personal computers, smartphones, tablets, and digital animation mass-market products passed away today. We're going to miss him. Deeply, and personally.

Steven P. Jobs passed away on October 5th, 2011 after a long struggle with pancreatic cancer. He was just 56 years old. We mourn his passing, and wish his family the very best.

He was the reason many of us got into this industry, or even care about technology at all. He made the computer personal, and the smartphone fun. Bill Gates may have put a computer on every office desk, but it was Steve Jobs who put one in every dorm room and bedroom and living room. And then, years later, he repeated the trick, putting one in every bag and every pocket, thanks to the iPad and iPhone. If you use a computer or smartphone today, it is either one he created, or an imitation of his genius.

He changed the way movies are made, the way music is sold, the way stories are told, the very way we interact with the world around us. He helped us work, and gave us new ways to play. He was a myth made man.

Prior to Steve Jobs, computers were alien to most of us. They were accessible to few people without an engineering degree. Not merely because of their complex operating procedures, but also because they were so cold and so inhuman. Jobs understood that they could be something more than that. That while computers would never be people, he could endow them with humanity. He could transform them into machines that not only anyone could use, but that everyday people would enjoy using thanks to the art of great design. He made them something that would be part of our lives. And he did that again and again.

His life story is familiar, but it deserves repeating. He was given up for adoption by his unmarried parents. He grew up in California, and was very much a product of that place and time. He took drugs. He got into phone hacking. Both were precursers to what would always be his interest: changing the status quo.

In 1976 he started Apple in a garage. Together with Steve Wozniak, he shipped the first true fully-built personal computer, the Apple I. He drove development of the Mac, understanding that it was the future of computers. The great thing that we would all see. He brought in a grown up to run the company. And that grown up forced him out of the company that he built and into the wilderness.

While he was gone, he started NeXT computer. The NeXT operating system would form the underpinnings of Apple's OS X, and iOS.

He also started the best movie studio of the past 30 years. Pixar's films were innovative, to be sure. It pushed the boundaries of CGI to such an extent that even today its early films still look great. But technology is only a tool. As with everything else he understood that great technology alone is not enough. It must be human to have an impact. Pixar movies tell stories. They make grown men cry. That was the impact of Steve Jobs.

He became a family man. He reunited with his biological mother, and his sister, the writer Mona Simpson. He married. He had children. He was, by all accounts, a great dad. It was his role as husband and father that helped drive his second act at Apple.

After his return to Apple, the company began shipping iconic product after iconic product. Products that defined a decade. The iMac, OS X, the iPod, iTunes (which was very good, before it was very bad), the iPhone, the iPad. All of these were deeply human products. They reflected his understanding of how technology was used not only in the workplace, but in the home. In his keynotes, product demos typically showed not executives, but families.

He made Apple into the most valuable company in the world.

He never met his biological father.

He accomplished so many things, in so many fields that it's tempting to compare Jobs to someone from the past. A Thomas Edison or a Ben Franklin or even a Leonardo Da Vinci. We tend to do that because it helps us understand. But it does him a disservice. He was unique. His own person. Our own person.

He was our emblematic genius. In 100 years, when historians talk about the emergence of the age of intelligent machines, it is Steve Jobs they will hold up as the great exemplar of our era.

They will remember his flaws, too. When Atari hired Jobs and Woz to write the code for the iconic Atari game Breakout, the pair earned a $5000 bonus for completing the work, largely done by Woz. But Jobs kept the bonus a secret, and only paid his partner $375. When his daughter Lisa was born in 1978, he spent two years denying he was her father. His denials forced her and her mother to support themselves on welfare. In the workplace he's often been described as temperamental and even petulant. He could be arrogant and unforgiving.

He was not a god. He was simply a man.

Yet for all his faults, he changed the world. He made it better.

Our world will be less interesting, less exciting, and less meaningful without him.

Goodbye, Mr. Jobs. We will miss you so very much.

iFun (Image)

Full Form of Programming Languages

Here are some of them:

COBOL	Common Business Oriented Language
FORTRAN	FORmula TRANslating
ALGO	ALGOrithmic Language
HTML	Hyper Text Markup Language
XML	eXtensible Markup Language
PERL	Practical Extraction Reporting Language
CSS	Cascading Style Sheet
PHP	Hypertext Preprocessor
ASP	Active Server Pages
AJAX	Asynchronous JavaScript And XML

If you know more of them, feel free to add them in the comments. Thanx.