Password Hacking with Keyloggers

Once a hacker is inside your computer, he will look for those files were your login names and passwords are stored.

That's they reason why it isn't considered safe to store them inside your computer. Even when the provider tells you that it is safe. Remember than there isn't a more secure place for keeping your password than your mind.

What Methods Were Used In The Past?

In the past, one of the common practices used by hacker was using programs that tried different password combinations until it found the correct one. This method was contra rested by email providers by giving a limited number of options or by placing some security measures inside their webpage.

Other method was placing false web pages instead of the original ones. A hacker could make a user think that he is accessing his email at the webpage of his email provider. In reality, he was entering all his information to a webpage created by the hacker. This scheme isn't used any more since users have become a bit more careful and have acquired some concepts on internet security. They have started using secure pages for login which starts with "https:\\....." in the address bar.

What Are Keyloggers?

Keyloggers are specially devised programs that are installed inside a computer via a Trojan, a virus or a worm. Once inside, the keylogger will auto execute and start recording all the key strokes made by the computer user. Once a determined period of time has gone by, the keylogger will send the keystroke information to the hacker who sent this infectious software.

Then the hacker will start searching key combinations that can lead him to determine the password for determined web pages. This simple and effective method is a favorite among hackers since it can provide them with lots of private information from their victims.

Many computer users have more than one email account, especially if they use the messenger services from multiple providers, like Microsoft's Hotmail, Yahoo's Email or AOL email. It doesn't matter if you have one or many email accounts, every one of them may be a victim of a hacker. Even with the security measures imposed by the companies, Yahoo password hacking or hotmail hacking still exist. And it's very improbable that will disappear.

So, if you want to protect yourself from people who are hacking yahoo accounts or whose whole purpose in life is to do some MSN hacking, then increase the number of special characters in your password and try not to access your email account from a computer that is not yours. And that goes to IM's too. The ability for hacking yahoo messenger or any other IM provider it's a latent danger for all of us.