Help, my computer’s toast!

December 16, 2007 - 10:29 AM by Nicky

What do you like to do in your spare time? Read a book, watch a movie? Well one Israeli hacker likes to experiment in the kitchen – using kitchen appliances to hack into computers.

Yep. You read it right.

At a recent international convention of hackers, Dror Shalev, left the audience speechless when he used a toaster to hack into a computer. In fact, he told them, any kitchen appliance could be used to attack your computer system. (Wonder if that includes an egg timer?)

Shalev, a security expert at Check Point – the place where hackers go straight, told the audience at Clubhack 2007 in India, that he got interested in trying this out when he read a senior scientist at Google assuring folks that there was no need to be afraid of a toaster at home.

So he developed some software, networked it with the toaster, and hey presto – a toaster that hacks into your files.

“As soon as the toaster is plugged, the software is activated before it breaks into the user’s computer system. The same software prototype can be networked with any home appliance for stealing Web secrets,” he told The Indian Express. “With wireless technology available, there is no need for connecting the appliance with the computer.”

Shalev warned that we shouldn’t just blindly trust anything in the world of the Internet.

“As the usage of computers and the Internet goes up, we will need to be cautious about every object in our surroundings,” he said, adding that we should only buy our home appliances from branded companies.

“If an appliance or home device comes as a gift, accept it only if it is from someone you trust,” he said.

All very well. But can it still make toast?

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Tags: • Category: Food, General, Life, Technology

Comments

4 Comments on Help, my computer’s toast!

Liza on Sun, Dec 16th 2007 11:41 AM

I used to work with Dror, and the guy is indeed brilliant. I’m not surprised that he was able to do this. And, knowing Dror, he’d make sure that it could still make toast! :-)

Stephanie on Sun, Dec 16th 2007 12:16 PM