There used to be a time when the worst thing that could happen to you from a phishing attack was a financial loss. Maybe the hackers stole your credentials, got a credit card in your name and went on a shopping spree. Or, maybe they used ransomware to encrypt your hard drive and insisted on some Bitcoins before you could get your data back. At least there was no threat of bodily harm. Until now.
According to the article on Dark Reading, Hackers Can Hurt Victims with Noise, “Research presented at DEFCON shows that attackers can hijack Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-connected speakers to produce damaging sounds.” Scary.
This really shouldn’t come as any surprise. Bluetooth security vulnerabilities have been all over the news lately. According to Intel, “A vulnerability in Bluetooth(R) pairing potentially allows an attacker with physical proximity (within 30 meters) to gain unauthorized access via an adjacent network, intercept traffic and send forged pairing messages between two vulnerable Bluetooth(R) devices. This may result in information disclosure, elevation of privilege and/or denial of service.”
“Matt Wixey, research lead for the PwC UK Cyber Security practice and a doctoral student, found that he could access the speaker and volume controls for a number of different devices and use them to produce sounds at volumes that could distract and annoy humans almost instantly, damage human hearing with a relatively short exposure, and even damage the device itself.” You can find all the details here.
Apparently malware that causes physical harm is now a thing. From medical implants to vehicle vulnerabilities, hackers are now a threat to your wellbeing. The good news, if there is any, is that the attack vectors are still the same.
Keeping hackers from hurting you physically means, for the most part, keeping them out of your inbox. Since over 90% of cyber-attacks start with a phishing email, phishing protection can not only protect your digital assets, it can also protect your health.
They say prevention is the best medicine. When you’re ready for the best medicine for your digital health as well as your physical health with an anti-phishing solution, head on over to Phish Protection. Protect your entire company in 10 minutes for less than you think. Try it free for 30 days.