Gadgets Electronic cigarettes and other devices connected to the computer via USB pose risks, according to scientists
Οι καταγγελίες των καταναλωτών που πέφτουν θύματα κακόβουλου λογισμικού εξαιτίας της σύνδεσης του ηλεκτρονικού τους τσιγάρου ή κάποιου άλλου γκάτζετ με τον υπολογιστή τους, πέφτουν βροχή. Οι ειδικοί εφιστούν την προσοχή των καταναλωτών ειδικά στην περίπτωση φθηνών ηλεκτρονικών productof unknown identity, which may pose health risks... of their computer.
USB, the hidden threat
A few months ago a hacker, known as Jester, had predicted the rise of this problem and the extent that it could take this device-to-device.
"THEall these office gadgets - from the appliance that heats our coffee mug, to other sought after Gadget which can be obtained through online stores - which are made in China and connected via a USB port to our computer, may put you at serious risk"Jester had reported last March.
The story according to Rick Ferguson, security consultant of the Japanese security software company Trend Micro, is still true and unfortunately already many households have been "infected" by these devices. «The malware that accompanies these devices off the production line has been a problem for a few years now, infecting digital photo frames, MP3 players and other devices"He says.
To search for new cyber-weapons
Last August, in the framework of the Black Hat cyber security conference held in Las Vegas, USA, scientists from the German Security Research Labs (SRLabs) to analyze the risks through USB technology presented BadUSB: a malware that they created, capable of "tapping" on the type devices, reprograming their microchips, and scrambling the disaster, remaining "invisible" to the familiar scan of existing Anti-Virus programs. BadUSB, according to its creators, when connected to the computer, is capable of "infecting" the keyboard, mouse, flash drive, external hard drive, video game controller or any other peripheral device, turning it into a cyber threat as opens the "doors" to ... the Internet.
«For the time being, USB microchips are not accompanied by a protection against reprogramming, which means there is no way to deal with the specific threat» argue the experts of the German company SRLabs, based in Berlin. "This versatility of USB devices is their Achilles heel: once devices of different classes can be connected to the same port, one of them can be turned into a devastating accessory without the user even realizing it».
Source: tovima.gr