SoftActivity Keylogger Review
Good keylogger with easy-to-understand interface. Has flexible functionality, thus can be used for different types of monitoring. In our testing, it gets 586 out of possible 1172 points.New version supports Windows 10!
Advantages:
- Good URLs interception
- Both side interception in messengers
- Good stealthiness level
- Good visual surveillance
- 2-side interception of Skype conversations
Disadvantages:
- Available in English only
- Weak file activity monitoring
- Doesn't log system inactivity time
- Doesn't record clipboard content
The installation process is typical and has nothing new in a world of keyloggers. We pass through the following windows: Welcome → EULA → Installation Type (two options with self-explanatory names are available here: Full Installation and Only SoftActivity Reports Viewer) → Keylogger Password (where we create a password for our keylogger) → Ready to Install → Finish (this one contains "Open SoftActivity Keylogger" checkbox).
After the installation is over we are shown the window asking us either to continue using the trial or buy the license.
SoftActivity Keylogger has two different windows: one for keylogger's configuration and one for viewing the log files (SoftActivity Reports Viewer). The first one has all the configuration options grouped into 7 categories shown in a small column in the left part of the window. A click on one of the groups shows its details in the right and the biggest part of the screen. As usual, grouping of the options makes it very easy to navigate the configuration tool and tune the keylogger. In order to view the logs, we open the "Recording" category and click "View Reports…" button. As a result SoftActivity Reports Viewer opens.
What we see in SoftActivity Reports Viewer is a standard ribbon interface. The information is united into 9 tabs, each of them containing various actions that can be applied to intercepted information; the information itself is shown in the rest of the screen. There is also "Users" column to the left, that can be easily hidden by clicking "Auto Hide" button. Everything is clear and easy-to-use.
As for the OS support, SoftActivity Keylogger works on Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista and XP and doesn't support Windows 2000 and Server 2003.
Two options are also missing in the security of SoftActivity Keylogger: the keylogger can't be set to remove itself on a pre-specified date, so as can't be installed remotely. As for the rest of the options in this section — everything is OK. SoftActivity Keylogger is invisible, password-protected and can be accessed by pressing the hotkey combination or typing the keyword. You can also not only set a warning text to be shown to the user of a pc being monitored, but also edit it.
Unfortunately, SoftActivity Keylogger doesn't show the same results in "Monitoring" section. It cannot record the logon password, system keys, creation and renaming of files, clipboard content, printed documents, mouse-clicks and system inactivity time. Yet, it perfectly logs documents' deleting and opening that is usually very important while performing employee monitoring. It also logs system log on/off time, keychars pressed and started applications. SoftActivity Keylogger is very good at visual surveillance: you can configure both the interval of screenshots-making and their quality. Additionally, you can choose whether you want the keylogger to record the entire desktop or an active window only.
"Online Monitoring" section is the one SoftActivity Keylogger shows its best results in. It logs all the URLs in all the browsers present in our testing except Safari, makes screenshots every time a new website is visited, logs both incoming and outgoing emails and logs both sides of all the chat conversations, including Skype!
There are two ways SoftActivity Keylogger can deliver you the log files remotely: via LAN or by email. Unfortunately, you can't use the keylogger to flush the logs to a portable device or send them via FTP. As for the rest of the features in this section, SoftActivity Keylogger can be configured to monitor only pre-specified PC users. You can also set the maximum of the log files it should create, so as perform the search using the keylogger. Unfortunately, SoftActivity Keylogger can't be set to monitor only pre-specified applications and clear the log-files automatically.
"Other" section is the one SoftActivity Keylogger shows the worse results. Unfortunately, the keylogger has nothing to show here: it can't be set to react to a pre-specified list of keywords, block sites and programs or monitor on schedule. It is also available in English only.
Summing up we can say that despite the fact that SoftActivity Keylogger is available in English only and misses some features, its easy-to-use interface and flexible functionality make it a good tool for various types of monitoring.
Review by Keylogger.Org Team
Monitoring Software Features
Reports the group that basically analyzes the convenience of the intercepted information reading, including not only the ways to filter and show it, but also to deliver it remotely.
