I Know What You Did Last Logon - Monitoring Software, Spyware, and Privacy

I Know What You Did Last Logon - Monitoring Software, Spyware, and Privacy
Brief Description
A White Paper from the Microsoft Antimalware Team
We will explore the technical methods employed by both hardware and software-based key loggers, how keystroke loggers are integrated with specific malware threats, the user experience associated with various key loggers installed, and examine the social and legal appropriateness of various use scenarios.

Overview
To some, the thought of keystroke logging and other forms of monitoring bring to mind the Orwellian surveillance society – a view that is reinforced by recent news as well as the increasing presence of monitoring software in spyware and the frequency with which such software is found accompanying botnets. The act of capturing keystrokes on a computer as well as other forms of monitoring can manifest in a range of ways from completely benign to overtly criminal. In cases where the logged party is unaware of the activity there is also the possibility of financial impact through various types of fraud as well as personal endangerment when the monitoring is a component of stalking or domestic violence. However, monitoring also has legitimate commercial uses such as consensual workplace monitoring, parental controls and computer troubleshooting. We will explore the technical methods employed by both hardware and software-based key loggers, how keystroke loggers are integrated with specific malware threats, the user experience associated with various key loggers installed, and examine the social and legal appropriateness of various use scenarios.

We will explore the technical methods employed by both hardware and software-based key loggers, how keystroke loggers are integrated with specific malware threats, the user experience associated with various key loggers installed, and examine the social and legal appropriateness of various use scenarios.


This paper was originally presented at the 2006 Virus Bulletin Conference in Montreal, on October 12, 2006.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...d4-0e65-4133-85e7-44e666cc245a&DisplayLang=en