One of the best ways to stay safe and secure when using your computers and other electronic devices is to be aware of the risks. For the past decade, that’s precisely what I’ve been doing.
Most risks are obvious: use strong passwords, don’t download and install software from untrustworthy websites, or hand your unlocked device to a third party.
Also: The best security keys you can buy
However, there are less obvious — yet equally dangerous — risks that can result in device or network intrusion, or even device destruction.
Limited edition transparent Flipper Zero. Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
The Flipper Zero looks like a kid’s toy, all plastic and brightly colored (just like Tamagotchis is an extremely capable tool.
2. O.MG cables
The computer at the end of an O.MG cable acts like a tiny keyboard, pumping out keystrokes to the device it’s connected to.
This hidden keyboard can do pretty much whatever an operator at a keyboard can do. It can steal Wi-Fi passwords, copy files and move them to remote locations, delete files, plant spyware or malware, and much more.
Also: The best VPN services (and how to choose the right one for you)
The capabilities of these cables are terrifying. The elite version can connect to Wi-Fi, be programmed to trigger remotely, and can even self-destruct, so the O.MG cable becomes a regular cable, which makes it hard to identify the technology as the source of a hack.
Believe me when I say these cables look, feel, and work just like regular cables. They come in a selection of colors and connection types and blend in with your other cables.
Prices for an O.MG cable ranges from $119 to $200
USBKill USB Nugget looks like a cat. Retia/ZDNET This is a simple and cheap, but very effective device. Inside its tiny shell, the USB Nugget — which looks like a kitty — has everything needed to drop malicious payloads to pretty much whatever the device finds itself connected to. Also: 3 security gadgets I never leave home without Thanks to a built-in ESP32–S2 Wi-Fi chipset, this device can be controlled remotely, so that the hacker doesn’t even have to be anywhere near the system.5. Wi-Fi Pineapple
Using the Wi-Fi Pineapple, you can create rogue access points with the intention of stealing people’s login credentials and carry out advanced man-in-the-middle attacks.
Also: 9 top mobile security threats and how you can avoid them
The Pineapple can also be used to monitor the collection of data from all devices in its close vicinity, and users can save and go back to this data at a future date.
The Pineapple can also be used to capture Wi-Fi handshakes, and this information can then be used to crack Wi-Fi access passwords. In short, the Pineapple is an incredibly powerful tool.
6. USB Rubber Ducky
While the tool looks like a regular flash drive, the Rubber Ducky can be programmed to “type” commands into any device it’s plugged into.
The tool is yet another reason why you shouldn’t just plug random stuff into your electronics. However, the Rubber Ducky is so discreet that someone might plug it into a device, leave it connected, and it might be days, weeks or even months before it’s found.
7. LAN Turtle
With a built-in microSD card holder, the LAN Turtle is a perfect tool for gathering up interesting data that’s travelling across a network.
Also: How to find and remove spyware from your phone
The LAN Turtle can scan a network, undertake DNS spoofing, and it can even be set to send alerts when specific forms of network traffic are seen.
The Turtle is yet another one of those hacking tools that looks innocent and could remain undetected for a long period of time.
Bonus: O.MG Unblocker
Once again, these hacking tools are hard to detect among all the other tech kit that people have in their workplaces. Be careful what you plug into your devices, or else.
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