Beware of ‘juice jacking’ when charging devices with public USB ports

Beware of public USB charging ports, which can pose a risk to your personal data. — AFP Relaxnews

The FBI is alerting people to the risks involved in using USB charging ports available in public spaces. Some of these can be corrupted, and pose a danger if you happen to plug your smartphone or tablet into them. This phenomenon, called ‘juice jacking’, can lead to the theft of personal data.

The FBI’s warning message, posted on social networks, couldn’t be clearer, calling on users to avoid using free USB charging stations in airports, hotels or shopping malls. Indeed, hackers have already succeeded in hijacking several of these public USB ports, introducing malware capable of installing itself on any device plugged into the compromised ports, or even to steal personal data. This is what is known as ‘juice jacking’.