Reports of new keylogging programs soared higher this year, as part of a wave of multifunction malware with integrated keylogging features, according to VeriSign Inc.'s security information company iDefense Inc. The programs often evade detection by anti-virus tools and can be difficult to detect once installed, experts warn. However, at least one anti-spyware company believes that reports about the danger posed by keyloggers are overstated.

More than 6,000 keylogging programs will be released by the end of this year, according to projections by iDefense. That's an increase of 2,000 percent over the last five years, company officials said.

Keyloggers have been around for years and are also sold as legitimate applications -- often as monitoring tools for concerned parents or suspicious spouses -- according to Ken Dunham, director of malicious code at iDefense, in Reston, Va.