With the rapid development of new technologies and connectivity, juice jacking is one of many types of cyber threats that smartphone users face today. As technology continues to evolve, new threats will likely emerge - time to take cybersecurity seriously.
What is juice jacking?
Juice jacking is a cyber attack in which a hacker gains access to a smartphone or other electronic devices while they’re charging through a public USB port. This attack typically occurs in public charging stations that can be found in airports, hotels, or shopping malls. You might make an association with batteries since it’s called ‘juice’, but it’s not. Juice jacking can result in the theft of personal data and other sensitive information. It works by exploiting public USB ports with or without cables. The cables can either be regular charging cables or data transfer cables. The latter is capable of transmitting both power and data, therefore at risk of juice jacking.
When are you most at risk for juice jacking?
Anywhere where they have a public USB charging station. But, airports are the places where these attacks are most prevalent. It’s a high transit area with high foot traffic that increases the odds of hackers hacking devices. People prefer to have their devices fully charged and are therefore more willing to use the available public charging stations. Juice jacking is not limited to airports - all public USB charging stations pose a risk!
How to prevent juice jacking
The most effective way to avoid juice jacking is to use a power-only USB cable when charging a phone in a public setting. These cables are designed to only transmit power, not data, which makes them less vulnerable to hacking. Otherwise, avoid using public charging stations whenever possible and rely on your charging cables or Relink powerbanks to charge your device. You don’t have to worry about juice jacking with our high technology power banks. Our powerbanks only charge with cables that do not have data wires, meaning that they’re only power-up cables.
Relink powerbank sharing is safe
Device batteries do suffer due to our extensive smartphone use, often running out of battery power while we’re out and about. Depending on your activity of the day, a low battery percentage can stir up feelings of panic and trigger battery anxiety. Try to evade public charging points and either use a power outlet or rent a Relink powerbank!
Post time: Apr-07-2023
