How disguised iPhone cable can hack your computer and steal everything you own
Hackers might be the sort of threat that you don't take massively seriously, under the assumption that they probably have bigger targets than people like you, but the reality is they're becoming more and more common.
While many people fall for scams and viruses that target them online, there are also plenty of ways that hackers can actually get at people's personal data via real-world methods, as was demonstrated perfectly by a YouTuber a couple of years ago.
Back in 2022, the huge tech creator MrWhosetheboss uploaded a video showcasing a new cable that he'd obtained - one apparently used by hackers to attack people's phones.
In fact, the video doesn't just show off this one device - he lists a few different hacking accessories that he'd managed to get hold of, any of which could be used to get access to your devices.
One is a simple-looking USB stick that masquerades as an official Apple keyboard as far as your computer is concerned, but the most shocking is the charging cable.
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As the YouTuber demonstrates, when people look at the hacking cable compared to a regular iPhone charging cable, they often can't tell the difference.
That makes it really hard to protect against attacks that use it, since you'd need to be super vigilant to notice that the cable isn't right.
If someone uses the cable to charge their iPhone from their computer, for example, it wouldn't take long for the hacker to use a connected app to control that person's laptop.
This can let them do basically whatever they want, including opening apps, browsing the web, and accessing any services they like - the possibilities are endless.
MrWhosetheboss created a command that would open a tab in the laptop's web browser, access Google Translate, and have it read out the sentence 'I'm watching you'.
That's about as creepy as it gets, and he wasn't even finished. The hacking app also let him use geo-fencing, which lets the cable detect where it is geographically.
This could let you make it only work in some locations, rather than others - and if it's ever found, there's a handy self-destruct setting.
If the app controller types in the right command, they can make the cable wipe its internal memory or even destroy its charging function, making it way harder to ever detect, and likely to be thrown away.
So, we're basically living in a world where you can no longer trust the cables you use to charge your phone, even. One easy way around this, if you're worried, is to use your own cable.