A COMPLETE GUIDE TO KEYSTROKE LOGGER EVERY EMPLOYER SHOULD KNOW

8 min readJul 14, 2021

Keystroke loggers or Keyloggers are the hardware programs or software programs that support close monitoring of the keyboard. It inspects the operations executed on the keyboard and accordingly maintains a precise record.

Keylogging is included in the corporate environment because employers demand to have a specific outline of what their employee does after logging into the system. So by incorporating keyloggers to their workstations, the executives can monitor their employees individually throughout the working hours.

The program also assists you to witness the activities of the employee without letting them know. Specified keyloggers also offer a screen recording facility that records the activities on the screen, which helps in more detailed monitoring of the employees. The data will be collected in the list so that it can be accessed later or right away conveyed, to the concerned person willing to perceive the data via email.

HOW DOES THE KEYSTROKE LOGGERS WORK?

A keystroke logger program can get installed in your device in numerous ways. So anyone holding access to your device or workstation will be able to install the program on your system. It makes it more comfortable for the employers to install the program in the employee’s device if they are using the tools provided by the companies. Even the IT department of an association can have access to personal tools by requesting for permission.

TYPES OF KEYLOGGERS

There are two types of keyloggers available for business.

1. Hardware Keystroke Loggers
As the name suggests, it is an external device, so it does not require access for installation in any device. Even if we are using a single hardware tool, then also we can monitor any device and get the information on other devices. The operating systems used in the procedure are self-supporting. It is not discoverable even if they use any protection scanners or anti-virus software for it.

2. Software Keystroke Loggers
The software program requires access to the device for installation as it has to operate internally. As the name implies, the operating system dedicates to only an individual type, and its operation is limited to a particular device. Unlike hardware keyloggers, it can get identified by security scanners.

BENEFITS OF USING KEYSTROKE LOGGERS

1. Proctors Internet Usage
The keylogger helps in monitoring the data usage of the employee throughout the working hours. You will get access to the websites and applications searched by the employee and observe whether the employees were spending their working hours for official tasks or surfing other sites on the internet for entertainment.

2. Track Productivity Of Employees
The definite reason why corporate people use this facility is to perceive the productivity of their employees. You can get an idea of how much work is being accomplished by the employee throughout the day using the keystroke loggers. Therefore the employers can divide the workload accordingly, which can result in better productivity.

3. Unapproved Access Trials
We all are aware that in several workplaces, the entertainment sites or social media platforms cannot get accessed in the devices provided by the company to the employees. The employees do not have authorized access to visit these sites. Well, if you are using keyloggers then definitely you can have an observation of how many attempts they made to search that particular site.

4. Backup Documents
As an employer, if you are observing the keyboard of the employee, then definitely you would like to keep a backup of the document. Hence the keyloggers assist you with the equivalent convenience.

5. Preserve Proof Of Recorded Accounts
The executives wish to keep a copy of the projects that the employees are working on so that they can access it later for other purposes. Therefore the keyloggers readily save a copy of the documents that are available on the employee’s device then it gets saved in a small file from the device you are monitoring.

EmpMonitor is one of the excellent tools that assist you to monitor and manage your employees as it acquires numerous features. The software assists in observing each activity on the keyboard of the employee’s workstation precisely. It also holds the property of screenshot monitoring so that we can capture the screen uses of the employee randomly at any point in time to store the facts.

It is a cloud-based software so you will never have to worry about the data loss. The data recorded is safely stored in the cloud so that you can access it later. This software will never fail to keep you updated with all the data uses of each of your employees.

IS KEYLOGGING LEGAL?

The answer is a “Yes” if you are using the keystroke logging in the right way. If you wish to monitor the activities of the employees in the workplace, then it is legal because the employees get paid from the companies. So the employers have the absolute right to keep an eye on their employees during the working hours. They should be aware of what the employee spent his/ her time and to measure the productivity of the employees.

Apart from the professional requirements if the employers try to access the personal information of the employees, then it is wrong on their part. Even if the employee cannot resist checking on their social media accounts during the employee hours, then also the employers have no right to save their personal information and use them without the concern of the employees.

WHAT TYPE OF DATA IS RECORDED?

As the definition suggests, the keyloggers are capable of recording any sort of data that the employee uses during the working hours. It can keep track of all the websites and applications visited by the employee after the commencement of the employee hours. It also has access to the messages, emails, and chats if any during the working hours as different companies prefer different modes for their communication.

As previously discussed, it also serves you with the detailed information of the documents that are accessed so that you can have a record of the project or assignments on which they are working.

Some companies have strict rules against the employees spending time on social media platforms or other restricted websites, so it gives you information about the attempts the workers made to use them.

The facility of screenshot monitoring assists you to have screen capturing of the employee workstation at different intervals, which serves as a proof while studying the data carefully and managing the workload and monitoring the productivity of each employee.

WHO CAN ACCESS THE DATA RECORDED?

The keylogger program does not provide access randomly to retrieve the data as they are highly confidential because they belong to a company. The device records the activities of the employees. It keeps a check on the progress on their projects and assignments as well.

They are fully secured as it comes with password protection. So the particular employer managing and monitoring the activities of the employees only have access to the data that is stored. It also holds a feature of directly emailing the data to the concerned employer. Hence, the data can only be accessed by that particular employee who has the password or the one who gets the email directly from the program.

CAN ANYONE IMPAIR A KEYLOGGER?

If you are worried about this, then you can chill out because the answer to this is “No”. If you are using a reliable keylogger that works suitably in secrecy mode, then you can entirely rely upon the program as it assists you with numerous features. But if your device or software gets exposed by the employee, then they might end up disabling it from their system, only if they are using their device and not the workstation provided by the company.

DOES IT CONSUME PLENTY OF TIME?

For big companies having a lot of workers, it will get a little challenging to monitor the employees altogether. It seems hard for the keylogger programs as well to record the actions of so many employees.

WELL, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BOTHER ABOUT ALL THIS BECAUSE YOU CAN “SET IT AND FORGET IT”.

It will work behind the workstations so precisely and will provide you with the accurate data of all the assignments furnished by the employees at ease. It is not at all time consuming, so you do not have to worry if you are using the right tool for Keystroke logging as the data remains safe in the device from which it is operating.

Check Out Our Related Posts:
How To Measure A Remote Employee Productivity
12 Top Most Enquired Questions About Employee Monitoring Laws
Time Tracking & Remote Employee Monitoring Software : How To Make It Work For Your Business?

FINAL WORDS

A keystroke logger is a feature that can assist you in so many ways. If you are using the program for professional purposes, then you can comfortably rely on this software. It will equip you with all the pieces of information without the awareness of the employees. The employees will be more particular about their work as they must be concerned that their activities are getting recorded. Consequently, you can take necessary actions if needed to escalate the productivity of your employees.

Do you think using Keystroke loggers can ease your way out? What do you think about its features mentioned in the article? Do let me know in the comments below. I would love to hear it from you!