Is charging a gadget at a public charging station safe? It is not safe, to say the least. Juice jacking is one of the many diverse techniques that fraudsters have devised to commit fraud.

You charge your device at a public charging station, such as an airport, train station, or hotel lobbies, while a fraudster takes advantage of the situation to steal your personal information. Juice Jacking is a new type of cyber-attack that uses a USB charging port that also functions as a data link. The USB cords allow you to charge your device while simultaneously allowing data to be sent, giving fraudsters access to your device.

Data Theft and Malware are the two main threats of Juice Jacking.

1. Data Theft: Once a gadget has been compromised through juice jacking, the fraudster has access to everything the device has done. Personal emails, documents, images, banking information, and other login details are all included in this data.

2. Malware: When a device is connected to a compromised charging station, malware is installed on the device with the intent of causing harm. The software may send a full backup of the phone to the fraudster, as well as install phony apps on the device that seem like the real thing.

Malware can take numerous forms, such as ransomware, which encrypts files/devices for a fee, and spyware, which can be used to monitor a device over time. Malware can go unnoticed for a long time until it causes the device’s functionality to be lost or data to be lost.

Ways devices can be kept secure when traveling

• Desist from charging your device in public, and if you must due to an emergency, use a power adapter.
• Avoid using USB cords attached to charging stations
• Travel with an additional battery or a portable charge
• If you must use a USB cord, use a USB data blocker, which stops data transfer while allowing the device to charge exclusively.
• Do not accept promotional freebies in the form of USB cords and chargers.
• Before charging, make sure your device is locked.
• Learn how to make your device’s battery settings more efficient.
• Make sure all your devices are up to date with the latest software.

Signs that your device has been juice jacked

• The device is particularly sluggish.
• The battery and data plan drain at a higher rate than usual.
• The device begins to behave strangely.

What to do if your device has been juice jacked

• Erase all data on the device or reset it to factory settings
• Do not back up data on an infected device
• Notify a data recovery specialist; this will aid in the recovery of your data.