Award Keylogger for Mac

Award Keylogger for Mac is a keylogger with functionality that may be enough for home monitoring. The keylogger requires no special knowledge of keyloggers for successful use.

IMPORTANT! This keylogger doesn't ask for the password of administrator during the installation! Make sure you are not violating the local, state or federal law installing it!

Advantages:

• Good security level
• Good visual surveillance
• Ability to log user on schedule
• Grouping of settings into categories

Disadvantages:

• No URLs interception
• Available in English only
• Zero file activity monitoring
• No grouping of intercepted information

Installation

Keylogger's WebsiteThe web page of Award Keylogger for Mac offers us two installers: the one that requires admin password to install the keylogger and the one that doesn't. We choose the second one. We open the compressed folder of Award Keylogger for Mac and double click its icon. The application launches and shows its icon in the Dock. We click it and see the interface of Award Keylogger for Mac.

Interface

InterfaceThe interface of Award Keylogger for Mac is very similar to the one PC Spy Keylogger for Windows has. Click here to compare. Just as the above mentioned monitoring software, the main window of Award Keylogger for Mac has two rows of buttons. Those on the left open various tabs of "Options" window (depending on the name of the button), those in the center allow us performing various actions with Award Keylogger for Mac, such as its stopping, starting, viewing logs, etc. Below the buttons, located in the center there are a set of links, called "Tasks", that also open various tabs of "Options" window and allow us configuring the Award Keylogger for Mac.

Just as in PC Spy Keylogger for Windows the interface of "Options" window (even the names are the same in both of keyloggers) is separated in two parts. The configuration options, located in this window, are grouped into categories. Each category's content is shown in the center of the window, their list — in the left tiny column. Just like we like the grouping of information in all of the keyloggers we also can't but appreciate it in Award Keylogger for Mac.

The only difference between the interfaces of Log Viewers of both keyloggers is that in Award Keylogger for Mac the controls are located in window's bottom. Click here to compare. The weak point is the same — information is grouped only per date, making viewing the logs uncomfortable.

OS Support

According to the website of Award Keylogger for Mac it supports all the versions of Mac OS X, starting from 10.6 Snow Leopard — our tests showed the same. The keylogger perfectly worked on OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, 10.7 Lion and 10.6 Snow Leopard.

Security

Stealth OptionsThe security of Award Keylogger for Mac is on the level of good keyloggers for Mac. The keylogger is password protected and can be accessed by pressing a hotkey combination. The folder of Award Keylogger for Mac is not invisible, yet there are two things that should be mentioned.

First of all the version we downloaded allows us copying it to any place on the Mac, not to "Application" folder only. Second, the keylogger hides its icon in the Dock. However, Award Keylogger for Mac can't be set to uninstall itself on a pre-specified date and can't be configured to inform the users of a computer it is installed at, that they are under monitoring. It also can't be accessed by typing a secret keyword, but taking into account that keylogger can be opened by pressing a hotkey combination this feature is excessive.

Monitoring

Logging OptionsAs for "Monitoring" section, there is much to say here. First of all, Award Keylogger for Mac will log keystrokes only if an item "Enable access for assistive devices" is turned on in System Preferences. It is a good thing as in order to check this item one should put in the password of administrator making interception of keystrokes impossible for a person who doesn't own a computer. The bad thing is that this rule applies only to keystrokes, i.e. the keylogger will be able to monitor the rest of the information, e.g. clipboard content, started applications and make screenshots.

By the way, Award Keylogger for Mac not only can make screenshots, adjust their quality and configure how often they should be made, but also can make them every time a mouse is clicked or "Enter" key is pressed. For these two events the keylogger can also be configured to make a picture not of an entire screen, but of an active window only.

Unfortunately, Award Keylogger for Mac can't log system log on/off and inactivity time, log on password, mouse clicks, file-activity, printed documents and sounds. It also will not show you the system keys pressed, only typewriter keys.

Online Monitoring

Visited URLs, sent and received messages, both sides of chat conversations, — all these are things Award Keylogger for Mac can't log. It is also clear that the keylogger can't be configured to make a screenshot every time a new page is visited. The only conclusion we can make here is that Award Keylogger for Mac wasn't created for online monitoring.

Unfortunately, there is nothing more that we can add here.

Reports

E-Mail Delivery OptionsAs for the reports they show the duration of events and can be sent by email that is the handiest way of logs' sending in our comparison. The rest of logs' sending options (to USB device, by FTP, by LAN) are absent in Award Keylogger for Mac. The user of Award Keylogger for Mac can specify a list of computer users he wants to monitor.

Unfortunately, the same can't be applied to the applications — all of them will be monitored. Award Keylogger for Mac also doesn't allow choosing a custom period of dates to view the log-files, and performing a search in Log Viewer. Award Keylogger for Mac also can't be configured not to exceed a pre-specified size of a log-file, yet can be set to clear the log-files automatically.

Other

Award Keylogger for Mac can work on schedule, i.e. allows its users to set a time it should start and stop monitoring. It also provides a feature of making a screenshot every time a word of a pre-specified list is detected.

Unfortunately, the keylogger neither can prohibit starting of pre-specified applications, nor opening of pre-specified websites. Award Keylogger for Mac is available in English only.

The Bottom Line

Summing up we can say that despite Award Keylogger for Mac can't be used for online monitoring, some of users may find it useful for monitoring of home Mac.