Home Technology BEWARE While Charging Phone In Public: Scammers Are Now Stealing Money Using USB Ports; Know About ‘Juice Jacking’
Juice jacking is a cyber attack where scammers steal personal information by plugging their malicious USB device into your phone or laptop while it is being charged. Travelers often use public charging facilities to charge their devices, but it is important to be aware of the risks. Hackers can take advantage of this opportunity to steal your data.
Juice jacking involves setting up fake charging stations in public places. These fake stations are designed to secretly collect sensitive data from devices that are plugged into them. When someone plugs their device into one of these fake ports, the scammers gain access to their device and can collect personal information such as passwords and credit card details. In some cases, they can even inject malware into the victim’s device to gain remote control.
The term “juice jacking” was first introduced in 2011 when researchers at the University of California, Berkeley created a compromised charging kiosk to demonstrate how hackers can steal data from unsuspecting victims. Since then, there have been other examples of juice jacking, including a USB wall charger containing malware called Mactans, which was presented at the Black Hat security conference in 2013.
To protect yourself from falling victim to juice jacking or similar scams, it is important to take precautions. Use your own charger whenever possible, carry a fully charged power bank to avoid public charging stations, utilize security measures like two-factor authentication and encryption, opt for charging cables without data transfer capabilities when in public places, and stay informed about the latest scams and security threats.
While the threat of juice jacking has been highlighted by organizations like the FBI and LA County District Attorney’s Office, some security experts believe that the threat is exaggerated. They argue that most of the news surrounding juice jacking comes from ethical researchers demonstrating proof-of-concept hacks and that there have been no known instances of juice jacking in the wild. Additionally, modern smartphones now alert users when data is being transferred.
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