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Should I use a Public Charging Port?
Should I use a Public Charging Port?
The answer is: it depends. Most of the time it is safe to plug into public charging port in places like the seat on your airplane to charge your phone, tablet, or other device. You can find charging ports either with individual power outlets or with charging stations in public places like airports, hotel lobbies, shopping malls, and so on. They are convenient to use; you don't need to carry bulky power adapters especially when you travelling. You just plug into the charging port; usually it is a USB or a "Lightning" port (mainly for Apple Devices).
However, you should avoid using public charging stations that are available for travelers to conveniently charge their devices. Some of these "innocent looking" stations may, in fact, be hacked to steal data from your devices through a practice called "Juice Jacking".
What is "Juice Jacking"?
In "Juice Jacking", the harmless looking USB outlet in a public charging station is attached to a hidden computer. Your USB cable is used to supply not only power to your device, but it also transfers data – in this case to the hidden computer. Therefore, all the information in your phone such as emails, messages, photos, contacts or any other private and valuable data can be downloaded by cybercriminals into their computers in a few seconds. Hackers can also use the connection to put malware on your device to further hack into your phone even after you have disconnected. All of this happens silently, and therefore, the victim is completely unaware that his/her information has been stolen and that the device (e.g., a smartphone) has been compromised.
Charging stations are also known as charging kiosks or charging booths. They may be attached to a wall, or a free-standing unit on a pillar. This makes it easier for bad actors to hide the electronics and computers that sabotage your system. However, setting up such a system requires sophisticated planning and investment on part of criminals. They also need to be able to replace legitimate systems with their own equipment. Therefore, it is unlikely (though still possible) for them to hack into areas with frequent foot traffic and monitored security systems such as airports. However, less frequently visited public places are more vulnerable. For example, charging stations at bus stops are potentially vulnerable because it may be easier for cyber thieves to hack into.
An easier way for cyberthieves is to just use cheap USB flash drives (known as "thumb drives" to distribute their malware. Therefore, it is always advisable before attaching a USB drive to your computer, especially from an unknown source.
Ways to avoid becoming a "Juice Jacking" victim:
Avoid plugging into charging ports in public places, especially at charging stations (where there are several ports mounted on wall or post). Remember, the thieves need to make it worth their while into install or replace authentic ports with fake ones that can steal your data. It's unlikely they will change out individually mounted ports; they are more likely to concentrate on hacking charging stations.
Instead carry a power adapter and use a power outlet to charge your devices.
Carry a portable charging pack that you can use to recharge your device when there is no power available. You can also charge your charging pack, and then use that charging pack to charge your phone. Since the charging pack doesn't contain any sensitive data, there is nothing to steal.
You can also buy special USB adapters designed to block "juice jacking".
Be careful when attaching USB flash drives to your computer. It's a good idea to have a program that automatically scans for viruses on flash drives.
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