If you love books, then you’d agree that e-readers have made it convenient to access them. Apart from being home to a large library, e-readers are portable and have a long battery life. However, like any device that connects to the Internet, there is concern about whether e-readers can get viruses. In this article, we’ll examine e-readers to understand their potential vulnerabilities and explore how you can stay safe while enjoying your online book world.
Potential Vulnerabilities in E-Readers
While cybercriminals don’t usually attack e-readers as they do computers and smartphones, this online bookstore has its vulnerabilities. Let’s examine some of them below.
1. Enabling Unnecessary Features
It’s possible that you don’t use some of your e-reader features like web browsing and email services anymore. If that is the case, consider disabling these functionalities to minimize the risk of an attack.
This tip is also applicable to people who use other devices, like Chromebooks, to read different ebooks in different formats.
For example, devices offering more than e-reader functionality, like computers, are more prone to attacks and need to be better protected. This is why it’s crucial that people who find themselves in this situation consider investing in antimalware for their Macbooks and PCs. Chromebooks are popular for reading, and the best antivirus for Chromebook devices can help secure and protect your system according to technology writer Ilijia Miljkovac.
2. E-book Formats and Malware
E-readers typically support books in formats like EPUB and MOBI. Malicious actors can inject malware into these e-books. The malware can then steal the user’s personal data, monitor their reading habit, or even damage the device.
3. Vulnerable Software
Just like every software, an e-reader’s operating system and firmware can contain vulnerabilities. If these vulnerabilities are unpatched, they can give hackers unauthorized access to steal user data.
4. Sideloading E-books
Sideloading happens when you download ebooks from peer-to-peer networks or sources other than the e-readers’ built-in store. These unverified books could be compromised or might have been specifically designed to contain malware.
5. Unsecured Wi-Fi Connections
Connecting your e-reader to a public Wi-Fi or without a VPN is a recipe for man-in-the-middle attacks. This is because insecure connections make it easy for hackers to intercept any data transmitted over the network.
6. Phishing Attacks
Some versions of e-readers give you access to basic web browsing and email access. On these devices, phishing emails or links can be disguised as legitimate links with infected attachments.
7. Leaving Wi-Fi On When Not in Use
You don’t have to keep your Wi-Fi on if you are not actively using it to either sync your library or download an ebook. By reducing your online activity, you are less prone to digital attacks.
9. Carefree Use of Your E-Reader
Although phishing is not so common on e-readers, you still shouldn’t let your guard down. If you see a suspicious link or an unknown download attachment on your e-reader, it’s best not to click on them. Additionally, if your e-reader provides the option, report any unusual behavior or pop-ups using the built-in reporting feature.
How to Use E-Readers Safely
The bad news is that e-readers have vulnerabilities, but the good news is that you can do things to ensure your safety while using them. We’ll explore some of these safety tips below.
1. Download From Trusted Sources
It is important that you download your books from the official store of the e-reader you use. After finding what to read next, proceed to get them from well-known ebook platforms like Amazon, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble; you minimize the risk of getting malware because of the security measures these brands already have.
2. Update Your Software
Keeping your e-reader software updated is a great way to ensure your safety. For most online platforms, developers are constantly working hard to fix bugs and provide new security patches. By updating your e-reader, you’re protected from discovered vulnerabilities that could have exposed you to cyber threats.
3. Avoid Sideloading
It may seem like sideloading is a way to access a large library of books. However, you need to count the cost of a potential attack carefully. It’s best to resist the urge to download books from unknown sources and stick with more reputable and established platforms.
4. Use Strong Passwords
Strong passwords are typically at least 12 characters long and are a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters. Make sure you protect your e-reader using a strong password to prevent authorized access. Since you’re the only one who can use your device, there is no fear of others grabbing your device without your knowledge or making malware-infected downloads. You can also consider using multi-factor authentication to ensure your device’s security.
5. Avoid Public Wi-Fi
Public Wi-Fi connections have a higher chance of being spoofed by hackers to expose your e-reader to malware while downloading a book or updating your device. As such, you should avoid them. But, if you must use public Wi-Fi at all, then consider using a VPN to make your network connection invisible to malicious actors.
Deep Dive into E-Readers and Malware
E-readers are electronic devices specifically designed for reading books. Unlike regular computers, they usually have custom operating systems to provide an optimized reading experience. For example, Kindle e-readers have a specialized Linux-based system, while Kobo is designed on an open-source Linux platform.
Malware, on the other hand, is a variety of malicious software that, when executed, can insert its codes to modify a computer program. Some of these include viruses, worms, Trojan horses, ransomware, spyware, and adware.
Because e-readers are computer-like, they can be infiltrated by all kinds of malware. However, in practice, these incidents are not so common, and we’ll explain why.
Why E-Readers Are Generally Less Prone to Virus Infection
E-readers are like mini versions of your typical desktops or PCs, making them less attractive targets for cyber threats. Here are other reasons e-readers are less prone to viruses.
1. Limited Functionality
E-readers lack some features that full-fledged computers have, like the installation of third-party apps. Because of this restricted functionality, the device has fewer entry points for malware and malicious actors.
2. Simpler Operating Systems
When compared with the operating systems of Windows, Linux, and macOS, an e-reader’s OS is more lightweight, which makes it less vulnerable. This is because this device is designed to provide a closed number of tasks.
3. Smaller User Base
The number of e-reader users is very small compared with those who use computers. From a cybercriminal’s perspective, targeting a platform with a small user base is not so lucrative, making e-readers a less suitable target for attacks.
4. Inbuilt Security Measures
E-reader manufacturers are increasingly aware of the potential security risks of their devices. As such, they leverage measures like sandboxing environments and securing their ebook formats to reduce the possible entry of malicious code.
5. Limited Internet Access
Although they have some basic web browsing capabilities, e-readers are primarily designed for reading e-books. Their limited access to the internet reduces the potential of encountering malware online.
Conclusion
E-readers are a seamless way to explore the world of books. However, to have a secure reading experience, it’s important to be aware of their potential vulnerabilities.
Of course, e-readers are expected to keep evolving to provide enhanced security, such as the use of AI and machine learning to detect malware. Nonetheless, we encourage you to practice the tips above so you can enjoy the full benefit of your device with zero worries!
Markus lives in San Francisco, California and is the video game and audio expert on Good e-Reader! He has a huge interest in new e-readers and tablets, and gaming.
