A keylogger is a program that records every keystroke made by users. They are primarily used by cybercriminals to intercept the submission of sensitive information like passwords and credit card numbers.
What is a Keylogger?
Key takeaways
Keyloggers can be used legally and illegally. Examples of legal uses of keyloggers include law enforcement monitoring for criminal activity and company's monitoring for internal threats on their devices.- There are two categories of keyloggers - hardware and software.
- Kernel keyloggers are the most complex type of keylogger. Anti-rootkit software is required to detect them because they're designed to hide behind legitimate computer processes.
Reviewed by
No items found.
Author
Edward Kost
Reviewed by
See UpGuard In Action
Book a free, personalized onboarding call with one of our cybersecurity experts.
More from our blog
Learn more about the latest issues in cybersecurity.
The Evidence Is In: UpGuard Named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape for Worldwide Third-Party Risk Management
The Evidence Is In: UpGuard Named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape for Worldwide Third-Party Risk Management
UpGuard has been named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Third-Party Risk Management Services 2026 Vendor Assessment. Find out why.
Cassy van Eeden
October 18, 2026
We Researched Four AI Evidence Analysis Tools for TPRM. Here’s What We Found.
We Researched Four AI Evidence Analysis Tools for TPRM. Here’s What We Found.
We researched four AI evidence-parsing tools against four criteria that security teams often overlook. None nailed all four.
Cassy van Eeden
September 29, 2026
12 Cybersecurity Horror Stories of 2026 (No Costume Required)
12 Cybersecurity Horror Stories of 2026 (No Costume Required)
A warning ignored once becomes a headline. Read more about these 12 real 2026 cybersecurity incidents, and the sign each one gave before it made the news.
.jpeg){kind=avatar}
Revashni Moodley
October 14, 2026
Sign up for our newsletter
UpGuard's monthly newsletter cuts through the noise and brings you what matters most: our breaking research, in-depth analysis of emerging threats, and actionable strategic insights.
Free instant security score
How secure is your organization?
