: Re: Security risks when the Kindle(Paperwhite) is plugged into a PC Are there any security risks to plug a Kindle Paperwhite in a PC (imagine infected with viruses PC)? I mean for both the software

@Kathryn

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The largest security risk is basically the same as that of a USB stick. By plugging the device into an infected computer, the file system on the device that mounts just like any other removable storage device could be written to and mal-ware loves to piggy back on portable devices. When you later plug the reader into another computer, you could infect that computer in the same way any other storage device could.

The precautions for the computer side should be exactly the same as when using any other portable media.

For the Kinde itself, I wouldn't worry about it. The potential exists for it it's internal software to be compromised or your books corrupted or any number of things, but you also stand a pretty good chance of getting hit with a meteorite. The attack vector is just not a large enough one and the potential gain for malware authors is small enough that it is an unlikely to be a problem. To my knowledge no known malware exists that targets or is effective against the embedded OS that the Kindle runs.

Don't be careless. If you plug it into an untrusted machine, assume it could be compromised, must likely by being a host for bad files. Check it appropriately, but don't be too paranoid that something is going to happen to the device itself.

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