The word "keylogger" comes from the English words key and log: a program that records keys. Such a program runs unnoticed in the background and captures every keystroke: logins, passwords, codes from messages, card numbers, private conversations. It sends everything it collects to the person who planted it.
What it looks like in the gaming scene
A gaming account is a valuable commodity for a thief. It can hold expensive skins, in-game items, a linked email, and payment details. That's why keyloggers are often hidden in things that appeal to players:
- "cheats," "free skins," and "cracked" versions of paid software;
- game "boosters," third-party overlays, and utilities that promise better performance;
- files sent by a "friend" or a random acquaintance in private messages, with a request to "come take a look" or "run this, it's funny";
- links to fake websites that look like the real ones.
A typical situation: a player downloads a "free program for profitable item trading," runs it, and calmly keeps playing. A few days later, they find that a stranger has logged into their account and part of their inventory is gone. The program silently recorded the password at the moment of login and sent it to the owner of the malware.
How a keylogger differs from other malware
A keylogger is not the only kind of "spy." A trojan is a program that disguises itself as something useful but does harmful things; a keylogger is often included in a trojan as one of its modules. There are also separate programs that steal saved passwords from the browser rather than intercepting input. A keylogger, by contrast, catches exactly what you type, so it works even when the password isn't saved anywhere.
Keyloggers can be software-based or hardware-based. Software keyloggers are ordinary applications on a computer. Hardware keyloggers are small devices plugged in between the keyboard and the computer case; they are rare and mostly relevant for shared or someone else's computers.
How to protect yourself
The main rule is not to run anything whose origin you don't know. Beyond that, a few simple habits work:
- download programs only from official websites and trusted sources;
- enable two-factor authentication: even if the password is stolen, it's harder to get into the account without the second confirmation;
- use antivirus software and keep your system updated;
- don't enter passwords on sites you reached through a link in a private message — check the address in the browser's address bar;
- don't use the same password on different services;
- on someone else's or shared computers, don't log in to personal accounts.
If you suspect a keylogger is already on your computer, change your passwords from a clean device, scan the system with antivirus software, and check the list of account logins and linked devices.