You’re on the road and out of juice. We’ve all been there. Luckily, most airports, hotels and cafes now offer free charging stations where you can simply plug in a USB cord and recharge your phone. Not so fast. Although most of us assume that our phones can’t be hacked, we’re all at risk from juice jacking in public areas. Find out what it is, why you’re vulnerable and how to protect yourself.
What Is Juice Jacking?
Juice jacking is a sneaky cyber-theft tactic that exploits vulnerabilities in public USB charging stations. It also exploits the psychological fact that when we’re on the go, most of us can be distracted and disoriented. A public USB charging port not only looks familiar but also seems like an act of kindness. Sadly, criminals take advantage by loading malware into the USB station or cable. Their aim is to interrupt the data transfer in the USB port and steal your passwords, card details or other sensitive information.
One Charge, Numerous Negatives
Most of us assume that our USB cable is just for charging, forgetting perhaps that it’s also the means by which we attach our peripheral devices to our laptop or desktop computer to upload or download files. When a hacker juice jacks your connection, they hop onto this data transfer stream in secret. Their goal might be to install malware, ransomware, spyware, Trojans or crypto miners to take over your phone. Alternatively, they’re running crawlers that search for personally identifiable information with the aim of cloning your personal info onto another device. Either way, you could be at risk of fraudulent transactions, compromised personal information or any number of sophisticated hacking scams.
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Signs You’ve Been Juice Jacked
Hackers know that you’ll be fully charged and on your way before you realize something is wrong. If you notice any of these symptoms and you recently charged your phone at a public station, assume the worst and take remedial action immediately:
- You’re locked out of your phone or it’s frozen.
- Your phone runs noticeably slower or feels hotter than normal.
- The battery drains quickly.
- Random icons appear on your home screen for apps you haven’t downloaded.
- You see strange ads popping up or unfamiliar notifications.
- There are unexplained charges on your bills or a significant change in your data use.
How To Protect Yourself From Juice Hacking
Unfortunately, while some of us are now aware that using open public WiFi carries security risks, few of us have even heard of juice jacking. From today, however, it’s time to change your habits when you’re traveling. If you think you’re going to need a recharge, use an AC power adapter or your own power bank only. There are USB data blockers available that you slip onto your USB to stop the data transfer via USB ports, but even these can be bypassed by hackers. In short, consider public USB charging stations off limits if you don’t want your juice to be jacked.
If you think your data may already have been compromised and you’re worried about it turning up on the dark web, for example, the time to start limiting your losses is now. Find out how Spokeo Protect can help you scan the dark web for your sensitive personal data shared online so that you can block, rename and secure your most important information.
Sources
- FCC – Juice Jacking’: The Dangers of Public USB Charging Stations
- Malwarebytes – Explained: juice jacking – Malwarebytes Labs
- Norton – What is juice jacking? Think twice before using public USB ports
- Security Intelligence – Is Juice Jacking a Legitimate Threat or Nothing to Worry About?
- NBC News – Juice jacking: Why you should avoid public phone charging stations
- AVG – Cell Phone Hacking: Can Your Phone Be Hacked