Are Anti-Keyloggers Necessary?

Hi all,

I have been looking at anti-keyloggers and some provide some generic protection that alerts when a program requests specific keyboard or monitor services. I've tried out three such anti-keylogger programs including:

1) Privacy Shield Snoopfree
2) Anti-Keylogger
3) Keylogger Killer

I was wondering whether this type of protection provides an extra layer of protection or whether other anti-spyware programs, such as SpySweeper or the newer Giant Anti-Spyware, already provide this level of protection. Also, I found these useful when trying to determine false positives such as the one I recently received while running Giant Anti-Spyware. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Rich

 

From what Luv2bsecure was saying, SpySweeper is more effective than most of the dedicated anti-keyloggers. As for generic protection SnoopFree looks pretty good, but you might also check out ProcessGuard (http://www.diamondcs.com.au)

 

I haven't tried Privacy Snoop Shield or Anti-keylogger yet, but in my tests Keylogger Killer 'smoked' Spysweeper in the true art of keylogger detection.
KK finding more than twice as many keyloggers as Spysweeper. Not too good for SS which is supposed to be one of the top anti-spyware products on the market.

What Spysweeper does most of the time is it justs warns you of a new startup program,(@ the keylogger you just installed) most of the time not even identifying them as spyware/keyloggers!! It will just tell you a new program has been added, that's it! And how many free programs are there that do that? Too many to count right? So why would you want to pay money for a program that is doing the same thing as the free ones? I sure wouldn't. And i won't even mention how bad Spysweepers 'Mem Scan' is, so far it's tied with Pest Patrols 'PP Memcheck', both doing rather poorly at detecting the keyloggers.

To be totally honest i haven't yet concluded my tests, but so far Spysweeper is not in the lead in the detection of keyloggers, in my tests. I'm not saying don't get Spysweeper, just that it is not the leader in detecting keyloggers, not even close.

 

I don't think you are comparing Webroot Spy Sweeper. There is another program using the name - it is NOT the Spy Sweeper that most of us know. If Keylogger Killer works - that's great, I'll line up to get it if it is a quality tool. But your bad experience with Spy Sweeper - that just does not match my experience with the program. In fact, SpySweeper does much better against keyloggers than any other type of spyware. By the way, who is Tooto Technologies? They also make "Internet Spyhunter" according to their website, but I have never heard of this anti-spyware tool.

 

Yes, I am testing Webroot SpySweeper. And it didn't do very well against the commercial keyloggers in my tests. I will provide a full listing of what keyloggers (names) i used against SpySweeper if it is allowed to post this info on this site, when i am complete with my tests.

But i'm just curious Luv2bsecure how many keyloggers have you tested against Spysweeper in your own tests? (be honest) So far i'm around 30 keyloggers. Perhaps not a huge test compared to some, but a revealing test nonetheless.

As i posted previously, SpySweeper will most often just detect a new startup program, after installing the keylogger. SpySweeper WILL identify the program name, (not telling you whether it's a keylogger or not) but often the keyloggers use names that a beginner would have trouble determining if it is a keylogger.

As for Keylogger Killer, it will detect many keyloggers, but appears to have a problem with removal. I am using the trial version, so perhaps there is a problem with this feature in the trial.

One program i've tested that is excellent at finding keyloggers, probably won't be much of a surprise to many around here, is ................to be continued.

 

Thanks x-man for all of your efforts and sharing your findings. I very much appreciate it. If you have a chance to compare Keylogger Killer with Privacy Shield, I would be very much interested in your findings. Both seem like excellent programs, but with little technical knowledge it is difficult for me to determine which has implemented the better monitoring architecture.

Cya,
Rich

 

Well Richrf i really haven't posted much yet about the results, but i'm glad it helped you out some. It may be rather difficult to add Privacy Shield at this point in the tests. But will look into it.

And as for me being an expert, i don't consider myself one. I'm just a guy with a computer who got sick and tired or reading all the BS online about this anti-keylogger works better than that one, and half the time someone is just being paid off behind our backs to say one is better than the next!

So i just decided to do my own tests to find out which programs really work the best and which are just a bunch of blowhards.

I am not affiliated in any way with any of the companies whose products i test and do not play favorites here, like some posts i've seen (names withheld). I just test the products and give the unbiased results, nothing more nothing less.

And please don't expect any tests as polished as the tests being done by Eric Howes. He's a brilliant guy doing us all a great service and i am not even in the same building as the man. I have the greatest respect for him and great thanks for his tireless efforts.

 

Giant AS found a keylogger in my system.

 

My BS/Game Playing meter is pegging. If saying that Spy Sweeper is very good at detecting keyloggers is "playing favorites" I plead guilty. Most everyone here at Wilders, at one time or another, offers an opinion on any number of products. In fact, the sly comment in the first quote above tells me you are going to tell us that -- let me guess: SpyCop -- is the program you have found to be excellent at detecting keyloggers and that it "shouldn't be a surprise." But of course, that wouldn't be playing favorites. It's almost as if you have made that SpyCop push here before?
And, btw, SpyCop is a fine program - I just don't personally use it anymore.

 

I forgot to answer your question about my tests. I used 27 of the most popular keyloggers -- trial versions and full versions I had from my prior job.

Also, the version of Spy Sweeper I use doesn't even "warn" about program installs, etc. It merely sweeps for spyware. I believe it was version 3.0+ when they added the extra fluff.

 

Well i can see my comments about SpySweeper really hit home with you Luv2bsecure. Perhaps you are one of those people who does have a slight inclination towards one product or the other, but i didn't post saying that, you did. I am simply posting my findings and am not interested in getting involved in flamewars.

As for peoples opinions about this or that anti-keylogger product, that is exactly what i am trying to avoid, because no offense, but i have found peoples opinions on these products to be biassed toward one product or the other. Everyone has their opinion on what's best, but often it is inaccurate due to this bias.

As for my so-called sly comment, it was meant as sort of a lighthearted joke, not as favoritism. But you seem to be looking for that which is not really there in my statements.

Perhaps your upset would be better directed toward more keylogger tests with Spysweeper, seeing how you neglected to reveal how many keyloggers you actually tested against Spysweeper.

I do not favor Spycop over other anti-keyloggers, (though like you said it is a good product) but i don't see how that would matter if i did. When i do tests there is no bias involved, but i can still have my favorites after all i am human like everyone else.