There are lots of solutions for PC usage monitoring and logging, and we’ve covered a lot of them here at MUO. We’ve even offered a giveaway of the Elite Keylogger before, and I’ve written a few articles on ways that you can monitor how your employees or your family members are using your computers. They are still good solutions, but after coming across iSpy, thanks to Matt’s awesome review of the free webcam surveillance software, I realized that there’s an even better solution than anything I’ve ever covered before.

Use iSpy to Track What Others Do On Your Computer

Why is iSpy the best solution? Well, if you’ve followed how most of the webcam surveillance systems that we’ve reviewed work, they typically watch the camera area for movement, and whenever any activity takes place, the system jumps into action in whatever manner you’ve told it to. This can include recording the video, sending an email, or even launching an application.

The iSpy Camera Security Software does all of that – just as Matt described. However, there is something else that it does that I’m very excited about – it provides a powerful feature where you can set up a remote view of a computer desktop, just like you’d remotely view a webcam, and capture all movement on that screen.

To do that, once you install iSpy, just click the “Add” button and select the “VLC Camera Source” option.

You’ll need to choose from a variety of camera sources. The magic one is the “Desktop” tab on this screen. Choose the display that you want to monitor, the frame interval and what view size you want to resize the desktop to when you view it remotely. To set this up on remote PCs that you want to monitor, you’ll need to install the iSpy Server software, rather than the full-blown version of iSpy.

So, here I’ve installed the desktop camera to monitor all activity that takes place on the other monitor that I have set up. Here’s that monitor displayed in my “webcam” view inside the iSpy software. As you can see the live screen is marked at the upper right with the current date and time.

You could simply watch the screen remotely if you want to see what the person is doing there, but obviously that would take a lot of time and patience. And, if you’re more interested in seeing what’s going on at your PC when you’re gone, then you’re going to want to set up iSpy on a different PC to monitor your computer when you’re not around.

When you add the desktop webcam, you have to go through a few steps to set up that automatic “motion sensor” monitoring feature. The first tab is the camera tab where you’ll set up the recording frame rate. If you don’t have a lot of space to save recordings, just cut back on the “when recording” framerate. If you want to hear what’s going on as well, then yes, you can even activate the microphone (using the add button) and then “pair it” on this tab.

The Motion Detection tab is where you set up the sensitivity of motion when you want to start recording what’s going on at the screen. Also, if you want to monitor the motion over just a smaller portion of the screen, you can create a “detection zone” by drawing a box around that area.

The “Alerts” tab is where you’re going to configure the behavior of how the application monitors motion. Change mode to “movement” and then select how many seconds of movement there should be before recording begins.

That screen is also where you can select a program to execute in the “Execute file” field.

Then, on the “Recording” tab, you set up exactly how the app records. This is where you set how many seconds inactivity will last before recording stops.

The coolest part of this application is its ability to automatically FTP the files to any FTP account you have set up. This makes it easy for you to monitor the activity from anywhere at all. The software will FTP the files and you can access them from anywhere.

If you don’t want to focus on the motion feature, but instead want to see what people are doing on your PC during certain times of the day, you can enable the “scheduling” feature of iSpy on the “Scheduling” tab. Just set the days and the times you want to record, and let iSpy go to work recording all activity on that PC for you.

The videos are all stored in mp4 format. Here’s a 10 minute video I captured of someone using my computer to search YouTube for “crazy stunts”. Those silly kids…

As you can see, iSpy goes well beyond your typical keylogging or screenshot applications that most people use to monitor computer usage. iSpy actually lets you record a screencast of every movement and every action that the user makes on that PC.

Give the screen recording feature of iSpy a shot and see what kind of interesting things you capture on your computers. Did you catch anyone trying to do anything they shouldn’t be doing on your computer? Share your thoughts and insights in the comments section below.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

If you suspect this is occurring, you can monitor your computer to see how it is being used when you’re away. Let’s look at some tools that will do just that.

Revealer Keylogger & AllInOne Keylogger

The easiest way to tell what someone is doing on your computer is to use a keylogger. As you likely already know, this is a piece of software that logs keystrokes, which can then be retrieved later. You will be able to obtain information about what keystrokes we activated, thus providing an activity history.

If you’d like to stick with free solutions, Revealer Keylogger is a good choice. This utility logs keystrokes accurately and also records the process in which the keystrokes were logged as well as the time. The software can also be hidden from the user. It’s basic, but it works. Note that anti-malware software may quarantine this tool upon download, so you’ll need to remove the quarantine before you can install it.

Want more features and options? Then you’re going to have to go paid. One of the better options is AllInOne Keylogger, which captures keystrokes like any other, but has advanced log filtering options and the ability to send logs to specified email addresses, FTP servers or networked computers automatically. In addition, this software can take screenshots and record sounds via microphone. You can use this option free for seven days, but it’s $69.95 afterwards.

SurveliStar Activity Monitor

Keylogging can pick up a lot of information, but sorting through it to make sense of web activity can be a pain. SurveliStar Activity Monitor provides a easier and more comprehensive way to track web activity.

Once activated, SurveliStar can pick up on a number of online activities including web browsing, file transfers, and emails. These are then logged for later review. The log are very detailed particularly where web browsing is concerned. Everything is picked up including web use through extensions, plugins, etc.

Surprisingly, this software is free. You only need to pay for enterprise use of the software, which starts at $69.95.

iSpy – Automatic Webcam Recording

Let’s say that unauthorized computer use is just the beginning of your problems. What if you’re also concerned about what’s going on around your computer? A keylogger or activity monitor can’t help you there.

That’s where iSpy comes in. This free, open source software has the ability to automatically record video with your webcam while you’re away. It has motion tracking and scheduling features that allow you to record only when you need to, and it also has the ability to automatically upload recorded video to the web, including YouTube. That’s handy because it allows for remote storage of video immediately, keeping it safe from any attempt to delete it.

Heck, you can even access your webcam remotely via the Internet while it’s recording and catch your roommate eating ice cream in your bed red-handed.

Conclusion

The tools above provide a complete pack for monitoring your PC. You can find out what was typed, what websites were visited, what files were downloaded, and what emails were sent. You can even see what’s going on in front of your computer remotely via your webcam.

Still, there may be an element here that I’ve missed, or software that readers prefer. If you have some advice on how to monitor activity on your PC, be sure to post in the comments.

I’m going to be honest with you in that I didn’t download any of these at all, and this was done for two reasons – they aren’t free, and I don’t trust them.

Just know that the first purpose of this article is to let you know that this enemy actually exists, and the second purpose is to help you know your enemy by name.

Spector Pro [Snow Leopard]

As a product of SpectorSoft, Spector Pro markets itself as a way to check in on the kids or make sure that your employees are staying on task. It even prides itself with its ability to block websites and specific contacts on instant messaging. However, we all know that this doesn’t mean people wouldn’t use it for malicious reasons. (As a note, the website also has some sketchy user testimonials anyway.)

Besides its basic run-of-the-mill keylogging methods, Spector Pro forwards all emails, transferred files, and screenshots to its primary operator (read: stalker). Also, like most keyloggers, the software will likely run in stealth mode if it is being used on you, so just keep that in mind. However, at the price of $99, the perpetrator would likely use it only if they had serious intentions.

SniperSpy [Snow Leopard]

SniperSpy is one of three spy-related pieces of software produced by Retina-X Studios. Once again, we have the typical explanation of “Watch your children!” and “Watch your employees!”. However, in addition to its basic functions of screenshot capturing, location mapping (based on the current IP) and keylogging, SniperSpy allows its operator to view everything that you are doing totally live in a VNC-like fashion.

Basically, as you are typing out your romantic messages to your hypothetical forbidden lover, your spouse could be watching you as it happens. Another feature allows for operators to send the computer user an onscreen message – perhaps something classic like, “All your base are belong to us.”

Aobo Keylogger [Snow Leopard & Lion]

Aobo claims that you can use the software to “spy and discover the truth” and “get back a stolen Mac”. This is perfectly fine and seemingly honest, but there is always the chance someone might have ulterior motives while using it. The website for this software is a little iffy, so just keep in mind its users could be equally so.

The software comes in two varieties – standard and pro – and both of them collect the standard information that any keylogger would. However, the professional version is noted for its ability to record passwords that are typed in-browser, and it claims to have been the first keylogger for Mac to do so. All logs (including screenshots, keystrokes, and websites) can be sent to the operator’s email or FTP.

Amac KeyLogger [Snow Leopard & Lion]

Much like the other monitoring programs mentioned in this article, Amac Keylogger requires the operator to install the software on the actual computer itself. Granted, this could always possibly be done remotely by a well-versed operator, but in the meantime, just reconsider who regularly plugs flash drives into your computer.

Amac Keylogger functions just as you would expect it would – it watches you do whatever you do, sending information of your activities to the mystery man behind another screen. Although it displays itself as employee monitoring software, it is easily exploitable. If you download it once, it monitors all user accounts on the Mac in question, and it always will open up in stealth mode on the user’s computer. Also, much like Aobo, the professional version of this software can record passwords.

Conclusion

Keep in mind that Apple does subtly protect its users from these Internet demons anyway, but if you want a basic method to combat keyloggers yourself, you should take a look at this MUO article – 4 Ways To Protect Yourself Against Keyloggers. Besides this, remember to always update your OS to prevent unintentional installation, and don’t be surprised that some people do not. Take this example – a close friend of mine who works primarily with Macs once knew someone who hadn’t done so since the day that they bought it!

Have you ever encountered an attack on your Mac? Do you have any further knowledge about the ones mentioned here? Share with us in the comments.

This week, we’re giving away 10 copies of Widestep Security’s Elite Keylogger 4.6 PRO worth $990 (Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7 32-bit compatible). Let’s take a look at what this fantastic app can do for you.

Before we begin, MakeUseOf would like to state that we do not condone the use of key-loggers for malicious purposes. This giveaway is to support its use in the business environment i.e. monitoring employees or supervising your child’s internet activity and the like.

Elite Keylogger 4.6 PRO comes with all the features you could need for monitoring a user’s actions on your computer and it does it with a simple interface. You can set it to record every keystroke typed, what programs were used, which web sites are visited and even take screenshots at a set interval.

Elite Keylogger hides from the user’s view completely. It doesn’t show in the taskbar, control panel, or processes. In my tests, it even bypassed virus scanners. If I didn’t install it myself, I wouldn’t know it was on my system. After installation, you are given instructions on how to unhide the program for configuration.

After following these instructions, the program loads for you to set the options.

On the right menu you can select the date for the logs you want to see. After that, you select which type of log (keystrokes, screenshots, etc.) to view. The keylogger can email the logs to you privately. The program logs all keystrokes, including passwords, so be aware of this when sending any information over email.

You’re able to select specific items to track and set it for specific users. Even when recording keystrokes and taking screen-shots every 20 seconds, I didn’t notice any drop in speed or extra RAM usage on my 3 year old laptop, so the software does a nice job of running efficiently.

As shown above, the software also keeps track of what applications are used and even the specific times they are launched and closed.

Screenshot tracking alone can tell you a lot about a person’s computer use. If you take frequent screenshots, I recommend lowering the snapshot quality to 8-bit to preserve disk space. All screenshots are shown in an easy-to-view thumbnail gallery and can be enlarged with a click.

If you’re looking for an undetectable, low resource, and easy to use keystroke tracker, I highly recommend Elite Keylogger 4.6 PRO. Download the fully-functional 7-day trial and check it out for yourself.

If you don’t mind your users knowing that they’re being watched, try out their free Quick Keylogger.

The free version is visible in the taskbar and easily detected by virus/trojan scanners. You can password-protect the logs, but users can shut down the program if they see it. The free keylogger has fewer options compared to its big brother, but if you’re just looking to record keystrokes then this can do the job.

How do I become a winner?

It’s simple. Just follow the steps.

STEP 2
	Share this post with your friends by clicking on the Share button on the left.

STEP 3
	In the comments section below, fill in your name, email address, paste the link to your Facebook profile in the URL field and tell us why you’d like to win. Make sure to enter your real email address so that we can contact you if you win!

This giveaway begins now and will end on Friday at 2100hrs PST. The winners will be selected at random and announced the following day.

This is a rare opportunity to get a $99 application for FREE so join the giveaway now!

MakeUseOf would like to thank Amy from WideStep for her generosity while participating in this giveaway. Interesting in sponsoring? We’d love to hear from you. Get in touch with us via email.

While it should always be a last resort, it is possible to spy on your spouse with your computer and set your mind at ease, or escape a troubled relationship with a clear conscience.

Is This Ethical?

This article will cover a few simple ways that you can spy on your spouse with your computer. While MakeUseOf authors have covered a number of very useful tools to prevent others from spying on you, such as Aibek’s article on How to Cheat Keylogger Spyware or Varun’s article on Public Computers Made Safe, the concept here is actually the monitoring and logging of how people are using your computer.

The ethics are certainly debatable, but in the end, you must ask yourself how ethical infidelity is. If you discover that you’re being overly paranoid, then uninstall all of the applications and continue on in your marriage with confidence. However, if you discover that you’re married to a liar and a cheat, isn’t it best that you find out now rather than many years from now? Once you’ve worked through the techniques in this article, you will have the answer to your questions either way.

Use VNC to Monitor PC Use & Capture Evidence

VNC is a very popular, free remote computing application. While it’s an excellent way to remotely control a computer, it is also one of the best applications for spying on unsuspecting users.

This approach requires a unique configuration.  First, install the full free version of VNC on the computer that you want to monitor. Install it in “service mode,” which will automatically launch the application every time the computer starts up. Enable password protection by opening the configuration and clicking on the “Authentication” tab. Next to “VNC Password Authentication,” click the configure button and create a secret password.

You’ll also want to configure it so that when you connect with your PC or laptop, it doesn’t affect the computer and signal to the user that something is up.  In the properties screen, click the “Inputs” tab and configure the VNC server to ignore all inputs from clients.

Make sure all boxes are unselected. The final step is to install the software on your laptop or PC at some other location. Once it’s installed, open the application in “viewer” mode and view properties. Click on the “Inputs” tab and make sure that the boxes are unselected for the viewer to “send” anything to the server.

Once you have the server (the suspect computer) and your viewer configured, you can connect to the remote PC whenever you like and monitor how the person sitting at the computer is using it. This can be boring and tedious, or you might find your unsuspecting husband/wife visiting some questionable websites…

Accessing Cell Phone Records

One of the more common methods that cheaters use to secretly communicate with their “lovers” is through the cell phone. Many people feel that since their cell phone is so easy to use in secluded locations, that it is a safe way to facilitate an affair. Unfortunately for cheaters, the cell phone is the worst device for trying to have private conversations.

Few companies are as diligent at keeping such detailed records as cell phone companies. Not only can you view the date and time that certain numbers were called, or which numbers called the phone, but often you can also view the length of the phone call. How do you have a look at those records?

If you are listed as one of the owners on the cell phone account (most families have multiple cell phones under one account) then you have every right to view the bill. The easiest way to do this is online. If your spouse hasn’t set up an online account yet, that’s even better. All you have to do is configure the account for online billing using your email address. However, if your spouse already has an account set up, getting access is simple.

First, visit the online login page (this example is from AT&T Wireless).

Click the “Forgot your password?” link, and you’ll be taken to another page where you can have the password sent to the cell phone.

The trick to doing this is to submit this form late at night when you can “borrow” the cell phone. Submit the number on this page, click continue, and then view the password that gets sent to the phone via text message. After this, you’ll have full access to the entire online log of cell phone calls. Be careful, if you are not listed on the account, you could potentially get into legal trouble – so tread carefully.

Use a Keylogger To Log All Computer Usage

While there are dozens of MakeUseOf articles outlining how you can remove keyloggers from your PC, in this case you are actually going to install one so that you can monitor all activity on the PC.  Running a keylogger can reveal some very fascinating information about your spouse.  One example of such a keylogger is the free version of the Revealer Keylogger.

When you launch this application, you can set it up to automatically launch at Windows startup. You can also define the special key combination that will open the invisible application.

This particular application doesn’t allow stealth startup, so if you want to use this app, the best approach is to start it up secretly just before your spouse is about to use the computer. Then walk away into another room and allow the application to do its thing.

Many free keyloggers do a terrible job capturing keystrokes, especially if the user types fast. I tested four free keyloggers and found that Revealer was the only one that captured every keystroke.  It even logs application use as well. The results of such a log could turn out to be rather shocking – so be prepared!

Final Words

It’s important to keep in mind that all of the techniques detailed above should be used as a last resort. Many people find themselves in some very difficult situations, and however hard they try, they just can’t get to the truth. Technology can offer answers that a lying spouse refuses to provide. By capturing the evidence that proves infidelity or disloyalty, you can then free yourself from the burden of living a life full of doubt and worry.

What is your opinion on the ethics of using technology to spy on your spouse? Is it OK or is it an invasion of privacy?  Share your opinion in the comments section below.  Do you also know of any other software tools which can be used?   Tell us about them too.

This is why it’s important for every Paypal user to understand how to keep your Paypal account safe. Knowledge is power – and if you know how they do it, you have the power to stop them.

How Hackers Attempt To Access Your Paypal Account

Yes, it is possible for a criminal to gain access to your Paypal account. However, it’s also important to keep in mind that despite all of the melodramatic news reports you may hear about the terrible threat hackers pose to online security, foiling those criminals is actually very easy, even for people who aren’t technically savvy.

The following are the most common methods criminals use in order to break into your Paypal account.

• When you open an infected attachment inside an email from a friend or a stranger, keylogger software gets installed on your PC that attempts to capture every keystroke from your keyboard, and then it sends that data to a remote Internet location, where the hacker can parse through and extract your passwords.
• If they obtain your Paypal account password from the keylogger, the job is done. However, if they can only obtain your email password, they can go to the Paypal website, request a password reset, and then access your email in order to retrieve the new password to your Paypal account.
• Another more common tactic is to send out thousands of “phishing” emails, disguised to look like an official Paypal email. You click the link to the fake Paypal website, enter your email and password, and the game is over.

How to Keep Your Paypal Account Safe From Phishing

The phishing technique is the most popular because the authentic-looking email fools so many people.  Here is a sample of one such email (I get about 2 or 3 of these a month).

However, if the email was put together by a sloppy hacker, you’ll notice that with most email applications, if you place the mouse over the link (but don’t click on it!), you’ll see the actual link at the bottom.

As you can see, “orionresidence.com” isn’t exactly Paypal.com. However, even if this bottom link does report “Paypal.com,” the easiest method you can use to keep your paypal account safe is by never clicking any link inside a Paypal email. If you want to check your account, open a new browser window, go directly to Paypal, and log in.

While avoiding “phishy” Paypal emails will protect you from the bulk of problems, there’s still the matter of hard-core hackers. These are the ones who are a bit more savvy, and will look for ways to guess your password, search your computer for login information, or install keyboard logging software on your PC. There are ways to thwart all of those attempts as well.

How to Keep Your Paypal Account Safe with a Strong Password

First, sign up for a new free email account and use that email for your Paypal profile, but don’t use it for any other purpose. Most hackers like to scour likely social networks or websites, like eBay, for email addresses that are likely also used in Paypal accounts, and then target those email addresses with their phishing or virus email campaigns. Also, change your Paypal password and the password of your email account, to a difficult-to-guess password that includes upper and lower case letters, numbers, and at least one or two special characters like an exclamation point or the pound (#) sign.

If you need some tips for creating solid passwords MakeUseof author Damien Oh had an excellent article about it earlier, see Create Strong Passwords That You Can Remember Easily.

For even stronger Paypal security, consider using a security key. When you’re logged into your Paypal account, click on “Security Center” at the top, “Security Tools” on the left menu bar, and then “Paypal Security Overview.” You’ll see the following screen.

When you click “Get Yours Now,” you can choose between a hardware key, or a mobile key. The hardware key costs $5 for shipping & handling, but it features a digital code that changes every thirty seconds. You can’t log into the Paypal account without it, and it’s virtually unhackable. The mobile key method is free. After you enable your account for it, you simply text Paypal for the code, and they text message the security key back to you.

Keep Your Private Data Safe With Portable Apps

Another method you can use to safeguard your Paypal account is to always carry around a thumbdrive with a portable web browser installed that runs directly off the thumbdrive. You can view more details on how to install portable apps from this article. Below I’ve connected to Paypal using the portable version of Firefox running off my Cruzer thumbdrive.

By using this approach, all log files and history is stored on your thumbdrive, and not on the PC itself.  This not only protects you from scripts that search typical PC locations for Internet logs, but it also provides security from the next person who uses the computer inadvertently coming across your information.

Use Anti-Keylogger Software for Extra Security

Finally, to protect yourself from keyboard logging software that may have infected your computer without your knowledge, it’s best to play it safe and install applications like the SnoopFree privacy shield, described in this article, which prevents the keylogger from accessing the I/O data coming from your keyboard.  Another approach to circumvent the keyboard completely is by using a portable on-screen keyboard to log into your Paypal account, as I’m doing below.

If you are confident that your computer is completely clean of any trojan or keylogger, simply avoiding Paypal phishing emails and using strong passwords with the Paypal security key will provide more than enough protection to keep your Paypal account safe.

However, if you aren’t certain how clean your computer is, or you’d like to access Paypal from public PC’s, it’s always best to play it safe by also using a portable browser, a privacy shield, and an on-screen keyboard.

With all of those tools in your arsenal, the only way a hacker will get through your concrete wall of security is with an atomic bomb.

Well the other day I went round to an acquaintance to help out with a computer issue and I discovered right away that the keyboard was totally dead, one of the problems being that the pet cat had decided to use it as the toilet (as well as pieces of food stuck between the keys). So if I was going to be doing any typing for this guy to work out his computer problem, I needed a replacement keyboard and fast. That was when I got out my USB stick and fired up Portable On-Screen Keyboard – “a virtual keyboard to go”

Portable On-Screen Keyboard is part of the Portable Apps Suite by John Haller. As you can see, it’s a no-frills interface but who cares as long as it works, right? Basically you just start it up, then open the program you want to type in (a browser, MS Word, whatever), then use your mouse to click on whatever keyboard key you need. Those keys will then immediately show up in your typing program as if you were using a real keyboard – no time lag, nothing.

This lightweight program is an absolutely fantastic and essential program to have on your USB stick, especially if you are in the habit of fixing other people’s computers with dodgy keyboards on a regular basis. Next time you find yourself with a keyboard with broken keys or sticky stains, toss it to one side and use Portable On-Screen Keyboard instead. Plus you can also use it while accessing sensitive online accounts to make sure that no keylogger can grab the username and password letters.

[rating=5]

(By) Mark O’Neill is a blogger, professional freelance writer and the editor of Make Use Of. Check out his personal blog at BetterThanTherapy.net