It’s frightening to know you can plug in a regular-looking USB drive and suddenly your computer is taken over.
Have you ever found a random thumb drive and thought it was your lucky day? Well, after reading this article, you’ll think twice before inserting any random thumb drive into your computer.
Here’s why: these thumb drives can contain malicious payloads. Some attackers intentionally drop thumb drives in parking lots and other public places, hoping someone will pick one up and plug it into their computer to see what’s on it. Security experts call these intentional drops “candy drops” or “baiting attacks.”
When you plug one of these bad boys in, a script runs automatically, and your computer could be compromised. These attacks often use keystroke injection techniques that can enable tools like PowerShell and execute commands that take over your system.
Stay safe and practice smart computing habits. Don’t plug anyone’s thumb drive into your computer, and avoid using random USB ports in hotels or at airports for charging.
You never know what’s on the other side. It might just be a rubber ducky (a device that looks like a normal USB drive but acts as a malicious keyboard when plugged in).