For a lot of budding technology creators, software programming has been one of the best places to start, but thanks to the Maker Movement (which is powered by people who want to build things and tinker with hardware), hardware projects are also becoming a great way to learn about technology and build interesting and interactive things. In fact, if you’ve heard about Arduino or Raspberry Pi, then you’re already familiar with some of the devices that are being used as part of the Maker Movement.

The educational possibilities with this DIY hardware are endless, but just like with anything solidly based in technology, there are security concerns to think about. When we think about hacking attacks, we usually think of software that’s been designed by hackers to cause problems or steal data, but with the rise of DIY hardware, hackers now have another outlet in which they can orchestrate sophisticated attacks.

You see, if a regular computer user can use open hardware to build and program a physical device, then a skilled hacker can easily build a device that has security threats embedded within. One individual even showed how you can build a USB device that can hack a computer in about sixty seconds.

Some of these threats can sound pretty dramatic, but if you avoid plugging in or interacting with unknown homemade hardware devices, then you’re taking the right step to keep yourself protected. For years, we’ve had to train ourselves to be careful about where we click, but thanks to the Maker Movement, we also need to start training ourselves to be more cautious about hardware, too.

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