- Public USB charging ports pose a risk for identity theft through "juice jacking."
- Cybersecurity expert Eric Plam said safely charging devices is the best way to protect against "juice jacking."
SALT LAKE CITY — USB charging ports are nearly everywhere – hotels, shopping centers, airports — you name it. At first glance, they look benign, as if there's no way they could possibly harm your phone or tablet by using a public USB port. But that's not true, security officials warn.
Juice jacking
A recent post on the Transportation Security Administration's Facebook page warning that "Hackers can install malware at USB ports," and that "when you're at an airport do not plug your phone directly into a USB port." It's called "juice jacking."
"You've got to be very careful when you're charging your smartphone," said Eric Plam, a cybersecurity expert and chief revenue officer of mobile internet provider SIMO.
"What could happen is that data could be transfer from one of these risky USB jacks into your smartphone," Plam warned.
It's not just about draining your battery; it's about draining your identity. When you plug your device into a malware-infected USB port, a hacker can monitor, copy, and even control your phone remotely. The data scoured from that could include everything from passwords and bank details, to emails and text messages. In the worst cases, attackers can lock you out of your own device.
Protecting yourself
As for the best way to protect yourself, Plam says the solution is simple.
"The safest way to charge a phone is just to use a plug-in adapter," he said.
Avoid using those public USB ports altogether. Instead, bring your own charging cable and plug into a standard wall outlet, or carry a small external battery pack.
"Juice jacking" is for sure something you should be aware of, but it's also not a cause for panic. Both Apple and Android have programmed their systems so that if you plug in, and the USB port wants to access data, your phone pops open a dialog box that you have to click to give it permission. But that only works if your operating system is updated.
