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USB Ports Could Be Silently Leaking Your Personal Data To A Malicious Device

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USB sticks and external hard drives can be a convenient way to move your data from computer to computer. They can also be an incredibly risky way to do it. The ports you plug your devices in to could be leaking your personal data, according to an Australian research team.

Transferring data from a USB seems like a pretty straightforward operation. You plug your stick or cable into a port on a computer or hub and information moves along that "pipeline." What the group from the University of Adelaide's School of Computer Science have discovered is that USB data transfers create a significant amount of "chatter," or crosstalk.

If the signal is clear enough, someone could eavesdrop on that crosstalk from a USB port that's next to the one you're using. The University's Dr. Yuval Yarom stated that "if a malicious device or one that's been tampered with is plugged into adjacent ports on the same external or internal USB hub, this sensitive information can be captured."

Spotting such a device could be incredibly difficult, even for tech-savvy individuals. A mouse, keyboard, webcam, or printer might look innocent enough, but all could be modified to stealthily scrounge data from neighboring ports. The problem could be quite widespread, too. The research team found that 90% of the 50 devices (both computers and external USB hubs) tested leaked data.

Dr. Yarom notes that "USB has been designed under the assumption that everything connected is under the control of the user and that everything is trusted." The big take away from his team's research, then, is that you should never plug in a USB device with your data on it unless you're 100% certain that you can trust not just the computer you're plugging in to... but all the USB devices connected to it as well.

Don't forget, there are other risky USB connections out there. Hopefully, you're already careful about plugging in your smartphone to charge in public. Security experts have issued repeated warnings about how cybercriminals can use chargers to steal data from connected devices.