Gazette reader Windy H. writes:

Dear Dennis,

I keep important information (such as credit card numbers) stored on my PC. The sensitive information, however, is disguised in such a way that if someone were to ‘break in’ to my PC, they would never realize that it is my credit card number.

Question: I always go back to my repository program to cut and paste my credit card number into order forms when I make a purchase online. If there was a stealth keylogger installed on my system, would it be able to detect the numbers I am entering?

My response:

The short answer is, yes, you are at risk. On a related note: not all keyloggers are limited to monitoring input from the keyboard (they also monitor clipboard activity [cut and paste], desktop activity, instant messaging, e-mails, etc).

The long answer: Any information, no matter how obfuscated it may appear, can be intercepted over the Internet …

[Continue reading Can a Keylogger intercept 'Cut' and 'Paste'?]

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[tags]security,privacy,keylogger,cut and paste,interception[/tags]