False Sense of Computer Security

A team of security analysts found that most leading anti-spyware and anti-virus software fail to detect commonly used keyloggers.

Keyloggers are designed to silently record all of one's computer activity. They are commonly used for parents to monitor their children's computer activity. Now they are being used for criminal activity ranging from spying on individuals, identity theft and data theft.

The security team at SpyReveal tested the leading anti-spyware and anti-virus software against ten of the most popular keyloggers. The results were astonishing! Most of the leading security software used to combat viruses and spyware failed to detect 70% of the keyloggers. While most failed to detect any keyloggers at all, SpyReveal successfully detected all keyloggers.

Computer users are receiving a false sense of security when installing various security applications. With the explosion in online banking, the proliferation of identity theft is greater than ever. Many users install an anti-spyware solution with the expectation of being safe from identity theft. Unfortunately, they are still at an extremely high risk for identity theft and data logging.

"More and more news stories are being published of hackers who have obtained credit card records by using keyloggers", said Mr. Hankinson, SpyReveal's co-founder. "Yet, we still see major players in the security industry continue to fail at this specific type of problem."

Still don't think you or your business is at risk? Take for example Verizon's 2009 Data Breach Investigations Supplemental Report which states "Keyloggers and spyware.... played a crucial role in larger breach scenarios in which hundreds of millions of records were compromised."

"Consumers and businesses should not rely on a single solution for security. Each has a specific purpose. We want consumers to realize that even though their anti-spyware software says 'Nothing Found', that any keylogger could still be present, recording credit card information or business intellectual property," Mr. Hankinson added.

It is important for users to purchase security solutions that are designed for a dedicated purpose to receive the highest degree of protection, without being too narrow. With software like SpyReveal, you can rest assured that you are protected from most keyloggers available on the open market.