Even if you have an expensive smartphone today, it is becoming difficult to prevent the data present in the mobile from being stolen. Often people leave the house after fully charged the smartphone, but on seeing the USB charging port present in public places like cafe, train, bus station, metro, airport etc., they put their phone or laptop in charging, so that the journey During this, the battery can support, but let us tell you that this method can also cause big financial loss someday.
Charging the phone by putting it in such a USB port is proving to be dangerous for people these days. With this, hackers can steal phone data or can also vacate accounts by getting banking details. Actually, USB cable is not only useful for charging, but through this the phone's data is also transferred. But people are probably unaware that when they are charging their phone from USB charging ports, at the same time hackers also copy the data from the phone or install malware. This technique of data theft is called juice jacking fraud. Through this, data is copied from smartphone, tablet or computer device in such a way that users do not even notice it.
How juice jacking works:
USB ports are often used as a medium of data transfer. When Users charge the device through the USB port, it can also open the option to transfer files between devices. For this hackers often use off-the-shelf hardware, which is easily installed in the charging port of a public charging board. It is specifically designed for security breaches and access to information about connected devices. With the help of this technique, you do not even know and the data is stolen. The data includes everything from the phone's contact list, photo gallery to all files, WhatsApp chats, etc.
What can be the harm:
Recently, through Twitter, SBI had issued a warning to the people about this deadly mobile malware. Think twice whenever you plug your charge In charging station. Malware can find a way to affect your phone. After this hackers can export the data along with stealing the password from the phone. Not only this, the Los Angeles County District Office of the US also issued a video warning about the USB charger scam. In the video, Deputy District Attorney Luke Sisak said that a free charger could destroy your bank account.
Data theft:
Juice jacking leads to the theft of data from the connected device. Hackers can search personally Indentification Information [PII] Means that your Personal Identity, Account credentials, Information related to Bank account and credit card data etc.. Hackers can copy your data, And there are many Apps which can clone your phone data.
Malware Installation:
Whenever Hackers setup there connection automatically install virus in connected device. This virus be in the device til than user didn't find it and remove it. There are several categories of malware that cyber criminals can install through juice jacking, including adware, cryptominers, ransomware, spyware, or even Trojans.
How can we avoid this
• The best way to avoid juice jacking fraud is to avoid charging your device from charging ports in public places. If the phone needs to be charged immediately, plug your charger directly into the electric port without using the charging kiosk's USB cable.
• When you are traveling, you can take the power bank with you. This allows you to avoid charging at public ports. Note that even high-security areas such as airports are not always secure.
• One should be alert everywhere. Although hacked USB ports are less likely to occur in high-security areas, there is no guarantee of this. That the charging kiosks at airports may not have been tampered with, as juice jacking chargers can be installed rapidly, which are difficult to detect later.
• Most juice jacking fraud is done using a phone cable. So do not buy cheap cables, as they can prove to be expensive later.
• Do not manipulate (root or jailbreak) your operating system, as this may make your device vulnerable. Avoid installing pirated software and - media, as there is a possibility of virus coming from it.
Remember that antivirus can provide additional protection, but it won't be useful when it comes to juice jacking. However, if a cyber criminal tries to install malware on the phone, the antivirus app can stop it. So the next time you travel, be sure to bring your charger and power bank.
don't ignore these things
• Most operating systems have in-built measures to warn users. When plugging a device into a computer, a pop-up will appear, asking whether you want to transfer data or just charge the device. pay attention to such sign-ups.
• Do not accept a message without reading it completely.
• To avoid juice jacking, you can use Data Blocker, which is a small USB device that looks like a pen drive. The data blocker disables the wires that transfer the data. Nowadays charging kiosks are installed in most of the public places,But if you are charging your phone through the charging port present in these places, then keep data transfer turned off.
• If you need to charge in a public place, then it is better to turn off the device and charge it. This can prevent any kind of theft.
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