You could ask the user if that indeed is the choice the user wants.
It's all a matter of design, just as incidentals and Shaggy has said.

For example: The user is downloading a file, the Cancel Download button has focus. The user presses spacebar. The program asks if he is sure that he wants to cancel the download.

And it all could be as simple as setting the focus to another object, for instance another button:
vb.net Code:
  1. Button2.Select()