Kaitlyn Cimino/Android Authority
TL; DR
- Juice draw is on the rise.
- This hacking method uses publicly available ports to read data from smartphones.
- The FBI now recommends that travelers avoid outlets at airports altogether.
If you’ve been traveling lately, you’ve likely noticed that there are plenty of free outlets dotted around airports. As our lives increasingly depend on smartphones and other battery-powered devices, having a place to charge them is essential—especially if you’re stuck in an airport for a few hours.
Unfortunately, using these freely available ports is not the best idea. The reason for this is “juice break-in,” a hacking method that uses illegally altered ports to browse smartphone data. Today, an official FBI Twitter account tweet it out Warning to travelers: “Avoid using free charging stations at airports, hotels, or malls.”
While this isn’t the first time we’ve heard official government organizations warn against juice theft, this is the first time we’ve heard any of them say we should avoid public outlets altogether.
In general, you are more at risk of being “plugged” from a USB socket, i.e. the one you plug directly into your phone’s USB cable. However, hackers can also hack into traditional ports, so they are not secure either.
The best way to avoid siphoning juice is to simply not use public outlets. If you need to top up, use a portable power bank or stop as long as possible until you’re close to an outlet you can trust.