Insights For Success

Strategy, Innovation, Leadership and Security

Hackers are targeting your kindle

GeneralEdward Kiledjian

Consumers can easily become complacent when they see so much media coverage of large enterprise hacks. After all, what could a hacker gain by compromising your pc? Well it happens and it's not just your PC you should be worried about.

Hackers are capable of compromising anything that is connected to a network (think cameras, baby monitors, printers, etc). One thing you need not worry about is your reliable Amazon Kindle. It's just an e-reader, after all.

Kindle devices may have a flaw that could allow remote attackers to gain control of them, according to Checkpoint Research. It works by using a specially designed malicious ebook, which, when opened, will compromise the device.

An attacker can extract information from a compromised device including your Amazon credentials, billing information and more. Checkpoint believes that this technique could be used to target specific groups (such as the population of a country, speakers of a particular language, etc).

Amazon promptly patched the kindle after Checkpoint responsibly disclosed the vulnerability. It has been said before and I will say it again: update your devices regularly.

Ensure that your Kindle is up-to-date. Navigate to Menu > Settings > Menu > Device Info

Compare your version with the latest version of the firmware listed here.

You can force an update when your kindle is connected to WIFI by navigating to Menu > Settings > Menu > Update Your Kindle and click ok.