Phone need juice?.. not so fast!

You might want to think twice next time about what ports you use to charge your phone!

Personally, when I need juice, I need it now. I don’t have time to wait until I return home to charge my phone. I may miss an important phone call that needed to be picked up when it was placed. I will do whatever it takes to pump life back into my phone even if it’s a public charging station; especially at an airport. However, doing this can lead to a not so good outcome. USB cables carry both power and data which means they are potentially ripe for abuse when it comes to desperate smartphone users plugging into public chargers to boost their battery charge. All that’s required is for the charger to be connected to some form of computer which is able to pull data from the smartphone when it is connected.

Insert the USB Condom. This device made by int3.cc fits on top of a USB plug and cuts off access to the pins that allow it to transmit and receive data. Only the pins that allow the plug to receive power are left open, so that a device can charge without the possibility of malware being passed between the device and its power source. The USB Condom is meant to protect against what's known as "juice jacking," where a charging station is used to steal data or harm a device.

int3.cc specifically cites the phenomenon of juice-jacking as cause for concern. Power stations are dangerous and it turns out that most smartphones are configured to connect and dump off data. Any random person could implement a system at one of these stations that can extract photos and data or write malware to devices that have been connected to it.

iOS devices seen as more secure than other smartphones are also susceptible to being compromised. During a BlackHat security conference, it was demonstrated that within one minute of being plugged into a malicious charger, a computer could implant malware onto the phone. Some phones may be more susceptible to data theft and malware than others, but what is certain is that by breaking the data connection, int3.cc's USB Condom removes all doubt.

Safety Tips:

Assuming an outlet is available, charging your phone through a power cord is the safest route for protecting your information. Battery powered mobile charging devices also work well. It is advised that if you must use a charging kiosk to power down your device before juicing up!

For more info visit:
http://www.theverge.com/2013/9/13/4726486/usbcondom-protects-charging-devices-from-hackers-juice-jacking

http://krebsonsecurity.com/2011/08/beware-of-juice-jacking/