keylogger software
Keylogger software, also known as "Computer Monitoring Software" or "keylogger", is a program that secretly records all the activity that took place on a computer. And when I say “all activities”, I mean every keystroke typed, websites visited, chat conversations, printed documents, created or modifies files and more. A frequently asked question about this keylogger software is about the legitimacy of its usage.
Is keylogger software illegal?
The answer is definitely "No". When we
talk about Spy or keylogger software, there
is nothing illegal about the application
itself. The keylogger developers have
started and they continue to create their
programs exclusively for legitimate
purposes. There are so many situations when
monitoring the computer activity is
perfectly legal here are a few examples:
parents can use spy software to protect
their children from online abuse; companies
may use computer monitoring software to
ensure that their employees don't use the
company’s assets for personal purposes. Of
course there always are some people who can
find negative uses for the very same
software, and when I say negative uses I
refer: stealing passwords, credit card
numbers or corporate secrets. However, even
in this situation it's not the software that
breaks the law, but the person using it.
There are also uses that are not strictly
illegal, but have some moral ambiguity to
them. to give an relevant example, a
computer activity monitor may be used to
find out the truth about your cheating
spouse or to catch him/her in the act).
Do I break any law by using
keylogger software?
It depends on the way you use them. In
most cases you have the right to install any
programs on the computer that belongs to
you. You also have the right to install
programs on other peoples' computers if you
have their permission. Installing a
monitoring program on another person's
computer without his/her permission may be
illegal. We will not try to give you any
advice on the legal side of computer
activity monitoring because everything
depends on your particular situation. If you
are in doubt, consult your lawyer.
Can keylogger software be used
for any legitimate purposes?
Yes, sure. Here are just a few examples
of perfectly legal uses of computer activity
monitoring tools. You can:
- Monitor your children's online activity to make sure they don't visit pornographic Web sites or don't make any dubious acquaintances.
- Ensure no one is accessing your personal files while you are away from the computer.
- Keep track of the inexperienced users' activity to quickly locate the problem if they damage any system files.
- Monitor your employees' computer activity to make sure they are really working and don't do anything that may be a source of legal problems for you.
- Find out if someone uses your computer while you are away.
