I'm curious about the security of company-provided peripherals, like an Apple mouse, charger, or power brick. Back in 2021, I had a short-term position at a biotech firm that issued MacBooks to all employees for remote work because of COVID. I barely used mine aside from a few meetings and ended up turning in the laptop on my last day without the mouse or charger, which they never asked for. Is there any possibility that these devices might be bugged or monitored in some way? Also, if you have suggestions for better forums to discuss this, I'd appreciate it!
2 Answers
As someone who's been on both sides of this situation, I recommend reaching out to the company if you're concerned. But honestly, during COVID, companies often just wiped devices left behind and considered them a lost cause. Regarding bugging, any large company would worry more about privacy issues than any data they might get. It's theoretically possible for a mouse to have something like a 'badusb' attack designed to execute programs on your computer, but that’s rare. Enjoy your free mouse—chances are no one is looking for it!
It's pretty unlikely that the company is tracking you or even knows you have the mouse. Since it's been a while since 2021, they probably don't care about getting it back. Just do whatever you want with it!
Haha, thanks for your thoughts! I guess checking for something like 'badusb' would require a level of expertise I don't have. With all the tech advancements, it's tough to be sure!