What Is Juice Jacking
We’ve all been low on battery at an airport, and felt a wave of relief when we’ve seen a charging station. It doesn’t feel risky to plug it in and power up – and in any case, we’re stuck for options at times like these. But what if that official-looking port was installing malware or taking data from your phone as you charged it? That’s juice jacking in action.
As the name suggests, it’s when the power (‘juice’) cable to your phone is unknowingly taken over (‘hijacked’) by fraudsters. They exploit the fact that our charging jack not only allows power into the phone, but it’s also a way to download software and to extract data. That’s useful when we’re downloading photos to our laptop, or connecting music to a car – but it’s not so good if it gets into the wrong hands.
How juice jacking works
Usually, juice jackers target high-traffic areas like cafes, airports, train and hotels. Knowing that people have little choice about phone charging at times like these, they either tamper with public charging stations or set up decoy ones. Either way, the intention is to control aspects of your phone when you plug it in.
The cable could copy data – potentially photos, contacts, emails, texts, passwords, banking apps and more. Or it could install software, and give the scammers access to your data even when you’ve unplugged it. The scariest part is that you might not even notice – it still charges your phone, so you’ll walk away none the wiser.
Large organisations like the TSA (Transport Security Administration) in America have raised the alarm about this form of scam. The good news is that it’s still fairly rare, largely thanks to modern phone security that asks us before forming a data connection with another device. But as with every scam, it’s key to stay one step ahead in order to stay protected.
How to avoid juice jacking
To keep your data safe, take these precautions on your phone (as well as your e-readers, tablets, laptops and other digital devices).
- Make sure your phone is locked when using a public charging port. This is because data is less secure when a phone is open than when you’re faced with a lock screen.
- Heed the data connect prompt. Most modern smartphones will check before using the port as a data connection rather than a power connection. It might ask you ‘Do you trust this connection?’ or ‘Allow data access?’. It’s important to not just press anything to get rid of the pop-up – scammers rely on this – but pay attention to the message instead.
- Keep your software updated. The software updates on your phone not only give you the latest interface changes and nifty new features – they’re also key in sending security patches to your phone that address newly found vulnerabilities. If you set your phone to update automatically, you won’t have to think about this again.
- Bring your own power bank. They might be a little heavy in a bag, but carrying your own power bank means you can avoid using public ones. It also means that if you’re running low on juice and have the opportunity to use a public charging port, you can use it to power up the bank instead of the phone. This doesn’t carry any risk. Then you can charge your phone at your convenience.
- Ensure good security measures on your phone. Things like two-factor authentication on key apps, strong passwords, difficult patterns and biometric unlocking help to stop juice jackers hacking into your phone. But they’re also a great idea to keep your data safe just generally.
- Trust your instincts. While it’s not always possible to tell if a charging opportunity is legitimate or malicious, it’s worth checking for signs. Does the station look legitimate? Does the port itself look tampered with? Is it in a reputable spot? If something feels off, see if you can find somewhere else to charge your phone instead.
Take these precautions and you’ll be able to use public ports with minimal risk – a little forethought goes a long way in keeping your digital life safe.
If you’re looking to protect your mobile, Switched On’s feature packed mobile phone insurance offers immediate cover, 24/7 online claims, three cover levels and unlimited claims. Plus if you select to pay annually you’ll get two months free. Find out more by visiting the mobile phone insurance page of our website.