Features
Here is a complete listing of the features of Aplin Software’s: Neo’s SafeKeys 2008.
Overall Features:
Drag and Drop passwords
Neo’s SafeKeys transfers your password by you dragging and dropping the password from Neo’s SafeKeys to the destination program (eg. Internet Explorer).
As you are not typing your password, you are not using the clipboard or cut-paste methods, keyloggers cannot capture your password during the dragging and dropping process. In short – we have not seen any keyloggers that are able to capture dragging and dropping. We don’t even know how it could possibly be accomplished.
Protected Password Field
Neo’s SafeKeys 2008 (v2.1 and later) has protected password fields. Some keyloggers are able to ‘read’ password fields (where your password is actually in the text box, but is hidden behind “*” characters).
Neo’s SafeKeys 2008 does protect your password from these new keyloggers – all they will see are “*” characters.
Different password entry methods
As you’ll see, there are many ways you can enter your passwords using Neo’s SafeKeys 2008.
We have chosen to give you complete control over how you enter your passwords – but each method has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, using the Hover Mouse Mode to enter passwords should defeat keyloggers and screenloggers…but won’t defeat ‘movie-like’ screen recorder software (which is rare, and relatively easy to detect as it uses a lot of processing power). It is also slower than clicking the on-screen buttons.
You choose the method (or combination of methods) to suit your own security needs.
Password and Visible Text
If you wish, you can use Neo’s SafeKeys as a portable ‘notepad’. If the Password Mask is disabled, you’ll be able to see whatever you enter – but you could use Neo’s SafeKeys to write a short note using the on-screen keyboard or a scrambled keyboard. This should afford you some protection for the notes you write.
Neo’s SafeKeys 2008 can also be used as a portable Dvorak notepad, using the ‘Dvorak’ entry option. This way Dvorak keyboard users can still type in Dvorak on public computers, without changing system settings.
Improved protection against screen loggers
From version 2.3.0, Neo’s SafeKeys has improved it’s protection against some screen loggers. In short, it will be invisible to some screenloggers.
Mouse Entry Features:
Standard
Using this mode, use the mouse to click the on-screen keys to enter passwords.
Hover Entry
Using this mode, hover the mouse over the on-screen keys for two seconds to enter passwords.
Some keyloggers take screenshots every time you do a mouse-click. Use this mode to defeat this keylogging method.
Hidden Mouse and Hover Entry
This mode changes the mouse cursor to a small grey dot. Using this mode, hover the grey dot mouse over the on-screen keys for two seconds to enter passwords.
Some keyloggers take screenshots at periodic intervals (whether you click anything or not);
this mode ‘hides’ the mouse when you have it over the on-screen keyboard.
Keyboard Entry Features:
Scramble JUST the on-screen keys
This mode randomly scrambles the keys on the on-screen keyboard. The ‘real’ keyboard operates as per normal.
Scramble the on-screen keys AND keyboard Input
This mode randomly scrambles the keys on the on-screen keyboard, as well as the entry from the ‘real’ keyboard. The ‘real’ keyboard inputs will match the on-screen keyboard layout.
This way, if you type your password on the ‘real’ keyboard, keyloggers will only capture what looks like random keystrokes.
Note that whilst this is effective against most keyloggers, kernel and hardware keyloggers will not be fooled. Also, if someone cares enough to manually compare a captured screenshot showing the on-screen keyboard with the random-looking keystrokes, they’ll be able to find your password.
Use the Dvorak layout for on-screen keys and keyboard
This mode changes the layout of the on-screen keyboard and the entry from the ‘real’ keyboard to the Dvorak layout. The Dvorak keyboard layout was scientifically designed to reduce typing fatigue. When the Dvorak layout is enabled, both the ‘real’ and on-screen keyboard inputs will adhere to the Dvorak layout.
This way, if you type your password on the ‘real’ keyboard, keyloggers will only capture what looks like random keystrokes. Also, you can get used to typing using the Dvorak layout.
Note that whilst this is effective against most keyloggers, kernel and hardware keyloggers will not be fooled. Also, if someone cares enough to manually compare a captured screenshot showing the on-screen keyboard with the random-looking keystrokes, they’ll be able to find your password.
Return on-screen keys and keyboard input to normal
Both the on-screen and ‘real’ keyboards goes back to standard QWERTY layout.
Options:
Beep on hover entry
When using ‘Hover Entry’ or
‘Hidden Mouse and Hover Entry’ modes, the computer will beep when an
on-screen key is registered.
Keep password after drag-drop
If this is enabled, all text in the password box will remain after it’s been dragged and dropped to another application.
If this is not enabled, the text will be cleared after every drag-drop.
Hide password in amongst random characters
When enabled, the Neo’s SafeKeys will get the comptuer to automatically type random characters into the password box. This way you can type your password on your keyboard, and it will be hidden (or obsfucated) within random characters. Most keyloggers will only capture a long string of random characters.
When you start the ‘Hide password in amongst random characters’ feature, Neo’s SafeKeys will begin typing random characters. When you stop the ‘Hide password in amongst random characters’ feature, Neo’s SafeKeys will stop typing random characters, and will remove all randomly-typed characters from the password box.
For example, if your password is “password123!”, depending on how fast you type (the slower you type, the more effective this is), most keyloggers will log something like:
“re407f9rtpcfalsls98wmozrb45df8mer1u22xu3iv4wXJ!FC%wfy9dkp1″.
You’ll note that the automatically-generated random characters are not typed at regular intervals; this timing randomisation better hides your actual key presses in amongst the random auto-generated key presses.
Note that whilst this is effective against most keyloggers, kernel and hardware keyloggers will not be fooled. (Tech speak: hardware keyloggers and kernel-based keyloggers will not be affected, as they intercept the keys prior to Windows getting the keystrokes. This is effective against most hook-based keyloggers, as Neo’s SafeKeys 2008 sends the random keystrokes via Windows, and the hook-based keyloggers can’t discern the random from the real keystrokes.)
View:
Password Mask
This feature toggles the password mask. If the Password Mask is enabled (default), your password is hidden behind * characters.
For example, if your entered password is “password123!”, the Password Mask is enabled, you’ll see “************” in the password field. If the Password Mask is disabled, you’ll see “password123!”.
Obviously, it is not very secure to have the Password Mask disabled; any screen shot taken by a logger will give away your password!
However, if the Password Mask is disabled, Neo’s SafeKeys will register tab key presses and enter key presses. This way you can potentially type a small memo using just the on-screen keyboard.
(If the Password Mask is disabled and you have more than one line in the password field, and/or a tab character…then you enable the Password Mask, the following will occur: Neo’s SafeKeys will discard all text but the first line, it will also discard any tab characters, then will hide the remaining text behind the * characters.)
Other:
Keep on top
This feature toggles the behaviour of the Neo’s SafeKeys application. When enabled, Neo’s SafeKeys will always put itself on top of all other applications you may have running. When disabled (default) it will behave like a ‘normal’ application, and will not always be on top.