Stop Using Public USB Charging Stations: Your Data May Leak

Battery drainage is not a new lingo as it's one of the extensively talked about issues for mobile phone users. Despite the numerous technology and techniques involved in cracking battery-draining issues in mobile phones, there are still a lot of gaps to cover. People sought various methods to counter this problem such as using power banks, using USBs with adapters in public places. USB ports are readily available in public places such as buses, airports, cafes, eateries, etc. Are these public charging stations secure enough to charge your device?

Odisha Police (Odisha is the eleventh largest state in India) recently warned mobile phone users about the disadvantages of using public USB charging stations using their verified Twitter handle.

How Public USB Charging Stations Steal Your Data:

According to several reports, it's an avenue for hackers to access your device. Hackers install the malware in the charging stations to easily access your device or install malware whenever you connect your device. You might not be able to notice any changes but they will access your data later, the process is termed "Juice Jacking" according to analysts.

There are diverse cyber crimes hackers can do with your device when given access but fortunately, there are simple measures to curb these ill acts. When you connect your device it'll indicate data transfer, picture transfer, charging, etc, depending on the OEM. Kindly select charging only, as this will only accept the inflow of charges alone without sending out data. Another method that can be partially helpful is switching off your device as this will keep the connection on charging as default. Don't forget to use powerbank instead of public USB Charging Stations.