When you’re out and about and your smartphone
battery starts to get low, seeing a public charging kiosk comes as a sigh of
relief. But don’t get too comfortable, because this convenience might come with
a heavy price: a cyberattack referred to as juice jacking. Here is what you
need to know.
What is juice jacking?
Juice jacking is a type of cyber attack where
hackers plant malware in public charging ports. People who plug their
smartphones, laptops or tablets into these ports can have that malware installed
on their devices, allowing hackers to obtain sensitive information.
How does juice jacking happen?
On all smartphones and devices, the USB used to
charge the battery also streams data. You can see this in effect when you plug
your phone into a laptop and are prompted to “trust this device.” A user with
malicious intent can take advantage of this and turn public charging kiosks
outlets into data transfer ports.
Here are 5 ways you can avoid becoming a victim
of juice jacking.
Keep your device fully charged.
Whether you’re at home or at the office, make sure you have a convenient charging station and leave your phone plugged into it. This way you’ll
always know where your phone is and be 100% ready to go when needed.
Bring your own charger. Toss a charger into your briefcase or purse and plug into a wall
outlet while you’re out. This way you know the USB port has not been tampered
with.
Get a power bank. A power bank is essentially a
rechargeable, portable battery with a USB port in it. It allows you to plug in
your devices anywhere without needing a wall outlet. These lightweight
batteries are extremely convenient to have when you’re on the go.
Use a USB data blocker. USB data blockers (also referred to as
“USB condoms”) connect charging cables to a power source and blocks the
exchange of data. It works in a similar way as a power-only USB cable, which
does not have the wires necessary for transmitting data, only power.
Lock your phone before
you charge it. If you need a
fingerprint, passcode or PIN to unlock your phone, chances are you’re safe.
Typically, USB ports aren’t able to sync to a locked phone.
At Skylight Creative, we care about our clients and their privacy. Our goal is to provide top-notch customer service, innovative ideas, and high-quality products to help our clients exceed their marketing objectives.
We’ve been a leader in the
promotional products industry since 1977 and pride ourselves on delivering
personalized services. Located in Bel Air, MD, we have access to over 750,000
promotional products and can help your business with anything from awards to
corporate apparel.
For more information, contact us at (410)-879-8401 or visit
our website www.skylightcreativeideas.com to see all of the products we have to
offer.
