Social Engineering - USB Drives

First of all, what the heck is social engineering? Kind of a strange term if you ask me, but it's pretty simple. It's people hacking. The largest vulnerability in any organization is the (most of the time) good, (usually) honest, hardworking (when the boss is around) employees at that organization. I point out these stereotypes because humans are unpredictable, inconsistent, emotional beings that can be easily manipulated. The same cannot be said about computers and often times technology, firewalls, etc. simply stump even the best hackers. But what if they can trick someone into letting them in? That's the art of social engineering.

 

Have you ever found a thumb drive, memory card, or burned CD on the ground and thought "score!" or "I wonder what's on this?" Chances are, you have, but a little known fact is that hackers use this technique to deliver all sorts of malware that can lead to data breaches, ransomware, spyware, and other attacks. Be cautious of what you plug into your machines! This isn't just limited to thumb drives, either. Hackers are using almost any kind of peripheral. Even smartphone charging cables! Bring any such device to your tech before use. Stay safe!