5 Ways to Prevent Juice Jacking

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.