He plugged the cheap, red K-CAN interface cable into the Dell’s USB port. The computer let out a satisfying bloop-bloop as it recognized the hardware. Then, he plugged the other end into the Jetta’s OBDII port.
Run the software on an isolated "garage laptop" that does not contain personal data, passwords, or financial information. Alternatively, run it inside a clean Virtual Machine (VM) running Windows 7.