I have a client that was using Elogger(to monitor her employee activities) for windows and cannot live without it. I have set her up with Mandriva linux and can successfully run this windows based elogger with wine but the problem we are having is not being able to login into Elogger by using any sequence of keys for the hotkey it will not function correctly as it did in windows. All of the combination of keys that I try and use results in Linux doing different things other than what it is suppossed to do. I cannot get the login in screen to come up but I see the process running so I know it is working. What can I do to get this to work?

Add the terminal commands to get to login to a script - then run the script from a hotkey.

?

can you please elaborate!

If elogger uses hotkeys, Wine might not support it yet, see
http://bugs.winehq.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1348

Is there a way to "log in to elogger" which does not depend on the usual hotkey?

If I understand correctly, your client wants you to enable well known windows malware under linux so she can spy on her employees? While the malware runs under wine, she is having trouble collecting the illicit data it has collected. Ideally she wants to use the windows hotkeys to access the malware interface and "log in". Elogger may also have trouble running its "rootkits".

This process is only going to work, if at all, from within a wine desktop. If the malware is running in the background, you are unlikely to be able to use the windows hotkeys to much effect. My suggestion was to set up a linux hotkey to do the same thing.

As elogger is such common malware, and has been distributed in more malicious forms by third parties, care must be taken to avoid exposing personal information to such deliberately infected systems. The rootkit-like behavior of some of it's files can also be exploited by unrelated malware. Good thing this is linux - unfortunately, wine is very faithful about emulating the windows API. Have fun.

A more useful suggestion is to consider other ways to assure the trustworthiness of employees. Earning their loyalty perhaps?

I have used Linux Keylogger(LKL) and (pykeylogger). They are both great but they cannot capture chat like from AIM, Yahoo and others. Is there a Linux based keylogger that is more robust?

I have to ask: why are employees using chat clients at all? Is this required for their work? If not, then disable those applications - problem solved and no spying needed.

They recently brought me in to restructure their environment and the boss has her reasons for wanting this setup. I have argued the point of implementing filtering and network monitoring on the backend but she has it set in her mind. I am guessing that she read about keylogging from either a friend or from another source. Is there a more robust keylogger that can monitor chatting. I also mentioned the legally part about spying but she says that she understands so here I am. Any feedback. thanks

P.S

I believe that some of her clients are chatting outside of their network and also internally. I am hoping to convince her of these risk and hopefully allow me to proceed.

Sounds like someone I don't want to work for - before you reply: I must advise against dissing the boss in public. (Fell free to talk privately.)

I am going to trust that you know your situation. You are in a bind - you have been brought in to restructure their environment, but they won't actually let you change any structures. In your place, I would put my misgivings in writing - especially the bit about this software being spyware, and representing a security breach. Point out that the spying is not needed to acheive the stated ends - advise disabling the undesirable functions etc. All in writing. This is CYA time.

Also reread your job description.

"Chat Monitor" is another class of malware - like keyloggers. You can take your pick.

She wants to spy on her clients?

This is where I bow out due to ethical and security considerations. TTFN.

She doesnt want to spy on her clients but her employees. I will have a sitdown with her and talk with her thanks.