KeyScrambler (anti keylogger)

Do we need anti-keylogging protection?

While I’m writing this article, I have installed KeyScrambler Professional by QFX Software and what I’m seeing is KeyScrambler encrypts what I type so no keylogging software (also known as keyloggers) will intercept my keyboard's input. What if I’m on the bank’s website or any website requiring important login credentials? What if I'm entering my credit card details in any website? What if a website try to snoop on me? What if a new malicious trojan with keylogging abilities sneaked-in? Will KeyScrambler be able to protect my information? These questions can only be answered by putting KeyScrambler into action and hopefully after trying KeyScrambler, we will see the importance and advantage of anti-keylogging protection. Note that KeyScrambler does not offers keylogger detection and will not remove keyloggers that you may have installed - instead, it simply scrambles your keystrokes so that they cannot be captured or intercepted.

Installation
Rating

I choose to download and install the KeyScrambler Professional because it covers more application than its free edition, KeyScrambler Personal. The installer of KeyScrambler Pro is 1.09 MB only and the installation process is quite easy. There’s no other method of installating the program other than the default. KeyScrambler prompted me to restart the computer and when the desktop is loaded after the restart, the KeyScrambler registration window is display. A connection is required to verify the registration details.

A KeyScrambler icon have been added in the notification area (also known as systray) and the status is "active" because one of the covered program, Internet Explorer was opened by KeyScrambler Professional to show the program's documentation. When I closed Internet Explorer, the status icon changed to yellow.

Usage, Features and Options
Rating

I did not have to read the manual or documentation to start using the program. I find it’s easy to use! I do not have to configure any application that KeyScrambler Professional will cover because the program will automatically detect if you've opened a program that it can protect. Firing up any of the covered program automatically changes the protection mode of KeyScrambler from “Inactive” to “Active”.

KeyScrambler Pro simply sits in the notification area of Windows XP or Vista and you’ll see it in action when the covered program is opened or while you are typing anything! It do not require huge amount of memory to keep the protection active. It will turn the KeyScrambler icon to yellow - if no covered applications are running or not minimized, green – if any of the covered programs is in use or open and red – if you disabled the KeyScrambler protection.

While typing, the KeyScrambler will display the KeyScrambler menu or it’s User Interface (UI). The UI is not obtrusive because it is positioned outside the program’s window and you can position the KeyScrambler’s UI at the left or right and below the program’s windows. You can do that by clicking the arrow (up, down, left, right) within the program’s UI.

Disabling or enabling the protection of KeyScrambler is simply done by right-clicking the icon or simply press Control + Shift + K on your keyboard. You can opt to load KeyScrambler at Windows start-up and to automatically check for updates. You can also change how you want KeyScrambler to open the UI - expand, fade, roll, or slide.

The only issue I found with KeyScrambler is it does not have self-protection. I tried ending the KeyScrambler process (keyscrambler.exe) using Task Manager, it was successful but the protection is still active because the UI in the covered programs continue to appear. The problem is when you run another covered program; it is no longer protected by KeyScrambler. However and for the record, even popular malware scanner’s self-protection can be defeated by some nasty malware so I will let QFX Software pass on this area. And before I forget, I talked to Qian Wang of QFX Software about self-protection. They are aware of it but decided to not to take away from users the ability to control KeyScrambler. He has a point! When a PC is infected anyway, even the self-protection of popular antivirus can be shutdown so there's no point in self-protecting an application if the PC will still become infected. The real-time protection and detection of malware scanners should do its work by detecting before any file or action is done to the system or hard-drive.

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