This USB wall charger secretly logs keystrokes from Microsoft wireless keyboards nearby

venturebeat.com ^ | January 12, 2015 | Emil Protalinski

[Second Amendment First]

[Oshkalaboomboom]

How many people just leave a charger plugged in like that? The only time I plug in a charger is when I’m charging something.

[Red Badger]

Now our wall warts are spying on us!...........................

[proxy_user]

The basics of computer security?

1. Never use wireless anything.

[House Atreides]

“How many people just leave a charger plugged in like that? The only time I plug in a charger is when I’m charging something.
****************************************************************************************************
Interesting bit from the article:

“...KeySweeper... even continues to work after it is unplugged thanks to a rechargeable internal battery....”

[Calvin Locke]

How many people just leave a charger plugged in like that?

Quite a few. I was over at my mother's just the other day, and pulled out her Ipad charger, telling her that it does draw power just plugged in alone, and reminded her that even each of the GFI outlets draw upwards of 50w/day.

[wally_bert]

I really don’t use much wireless except for a micro keyboard for stand alone thin clients.

Every paper shuffler I support either has one or wants one. They also want dual big monitors and their own printer.

[Lee'sGhost]

Leave mine in my office plugged in all the time.

[smokingfrog]

My camera charger looks just like that.....

(switching to wired keyboard)

[sneakers]

bttt

[Zathras]

I’ve suspected that Arduino is the back door for many of these “Internet of Things”

[Monitor]

and reminded her that even each of the GFI outlets draw upwards of 50w/day

If she has a 50W lamp plugged in it and turned on, then yes. But no, the ground fault interrupt outlet does not draw anything on it's own.

[Fred Hayek]

I have worked at one place where wireless devices were explicitly prohibited due to security reasons.

[Calvin Locke]

Last time I checked (probably a dozen years ago), there’s a National Semi part inside each one (doesn’t matter the brand), and when all is said and done, it draws 2w/hour just being connected.

[ansel12]

Here is a discussion on it.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=209624&showall=1

[Cecily]

When are these gadgets going to start talking to us and controlling our movements?

[null and void]

Nut-job Conspiracy Theory Ping!

To get onto The Nut-job Conspiracy Theory Ping List you must threaten to report me to the Mods if I don't add you to the list...

[sten]

i figured everyone knew wirless keyboards were easily plucked from the air

this just allows joe-average to install it and receive the info over the net

[SamAdams76]

Let's face it. Every single thing we do online is tracked and stored. There is a huge underground bunker of government officials who are, as I type this, monitoring the online activity of every single American. They are all giggling and making fun of us.

I just want to say hello to them and let them know that I know they are out there.

[piytar]

You forgot 2: See 1. /snark