Keyloggers found on HP laptops

Recently we wrote about the dangers of keyloggers, a dangerous piece of software that can track everything you type in to your keyboard.

The seriousness of the threat posted by keyloggers has been highlighted today in a report by security researcher Michael Myng. The report, which can be viewed here, found that hidden keylogger software was pre-installed on the systems of hundreds of HP laptop models.

According to the report, as many as 460 models of HP laptops had been found to contain keyloggers including EliteBook, ProBook, Pavillion and Envy ranges dating back to 2012.

HP has since commented on the report acknowledging that the software exists but insisting that the software was built to help debug errors. This latest flaw in HP laptops comes hot on the heels of the discovery of keyloggers in audio-drivers uncovered earlier this year.

Keyloggers, or keystroke loggers, are programmes which can be easily manipulated by cyber criminals to steal information from businesses and individuals. By recording what is typed into a keyboard the criminal can gain access to personal information, bank accounts, customer information and other sensitive business information.

The best way to protect yourself from key loggers is to take a pro-active approach to internet security. This means training your staff to recognize rogue emails and software as well as keeping on top of any necessary anti-virus and software updates to minimize vulnerabilities in your systems.

Here at ECL we have extensive experience in protecting businesses against the latest malware, computer hacks, viruses, spam, phishing scams and other threats and can advise you on the best methods of protecting your business. We can also help businesses to update their systems to run the latest and most secure version of Windows available. For more information, please call us on 01268 575300 or email us on info@ecl.co.uk.