Kaspersky Lab warns of fast growing danger.
Key-loggers pose more risks to business and home PC users than any other tool used by cyber-criminals, security experts have claimed.
A report published today by security vendor Kaspersky Lab said that the number of key-loggers rose by more than 500 per cent between January 2003 and July 2006.
Key-loggers are the most difficult form of online fraud to counter. Most financial cyber-crime is now committed these programs as they are the most comprehensive and reliable tool for tracking electronic information.
The tools are also becoming more sophisticated, according to Kaspersky, in that they can now log keystrokes entered on the websites of particular interest to the cyber-criminal.
Many key-loggers use rootkit technology to prevent detection manually or using an internet security product, the research warned.
Keyloggers: How they work and how to detect them