More often than not, when law enforcement conducts a sting operation/raid, the headline — or at least the first few paragraphs — will detail the seizing of the perpetrator’s laptops, computers, and in some instances, their servers.
Not often described are the tools used to secure the captured data. After all, modern criminals who store important data pertaining to their illegal activity on a computer, laptop, et al, are generally savvy enough to protect the information with full disk encryption.
What is a mouse jiggler?
Well, one of the more important tools used in these operations is called the “mouse jiggler” — a small USB device designed to emulate a mouse and generate random mouse movements. When conducting a raid, law enforcement officials will typically beeline over to the computer(s)/device(s) and plug the jiggler in to prevent a screensaver from activating.
The device has proven to be of even greater importance due to the recent federal ruling that law enforcement officials cannot force a suspect to share their device’s password — the jiggler avoids the need for such information because it keeps the computer/device awake.
Worth noting: mouse jigglers are available on Amazon for purchase.
Can mouse jigglers be detected?
USBKill
Now, while a mouse jiggler might not be a piece of hardware that everyone knows about, it’s certainly no surprise it exists, and that it’s being used by law enforcement officials. As such, efforts have been put forth by those on the other side of the law to circumvent the jiggler’s capabilities. It comes in the form of an impressive bit of software called “USBKill”. In short, USBKill is a booby trap that is activated as soon as a USB device is plugged into the computer. When this happens, the computer instantly shuts down; it can also be modified to issue out various forms of destructive behavior ranging from deleting specific files to completely wiping the RAM and then shutting down the computer.
Also worth noting: USBKill is freely available on GitHub.
Hotplug
There’s also a device called the “Hotplug”, which is manufactured by the same company that makes the mouse jiggler. Basically, it allows for law enforcement officials to swap the power source of a computer without interrupting its power supply, for the purpose of transporting it out of the field and back to a computer forensics lab; specifically, it allows for the transferring of the computer’s power input from one A/C source (such as a wall outlet or power strip) to another (a portable UPS) and back again.
Another iteration of the Hotplug can also be used to move a server without powering it down.
Via elie.net
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