USB charging stations are increasing in public places. Practical and very simple to use, they allow you to give a little juice to a smartphone. But beware, the use of these devices could compromise your personal data. Here is everything you need to know to safely recharge a smartphone on a public USB charging station..
Why you should avoid connecting your smartphone to a public charging station
One of the biggest criticisms that can be made of smartphones concerns their limited autonomy. In fact, there are few devices that can hold an entire day away from an electrical outlet. Obviously there are some solutions to optimize the autonomy of your smartphone. But most of the time, these tips do not allow you to exceed 24 hours.
The situation has become practically unbearable. Today, being without a battery can be a nightmare. We can't count the number of missed appointments or missed photos because of a dead battery..
Like many smartphone owners, you have certainly already found yourself in desperate search for a power outlet. Faced with the magnitude of the phenomenon, shopping centers, restaurants, cafes but also large brands have decided to equip their premises with USB charging stations.
These devices can take many forms. In shopping centers, these are small secure lockers in which there are different USB cables. You select the socket compatible with your device, connect it and close the hatch using the small key..
In restaurants or cafes it is most often small plastic boxes offering several USB sockets. To recharge your smartphone, simply connect its cable to one of the proposed sockets.
USB port security
These charging stations are the subject of real enthusiasm on the part of the public. But beware, their use is not without risk for your smartphone. The Los Angeles district attorney has also issued a security note recalling the dangers of this type of device.
Not many people know, but free-use chargers may contain malware that steals data. Security researchers have demonstrated that hackers are capable of trapping charging stations. No need to panic, however. This type of attack known as Juice Jacking remains relatively rare. But things can change.
We know that the smartphone remains a target of choice for hackers. Rather than attacking mobile operating systems head-on, smart people have taken advantage of the lack of security of USB ports.
The Universal Serial Bus (USB) was designed to recharge the smartphone's battery but also to transfer the data stored in its memory to another device. Hackers now know how to take advantage of the vulnerability of the USB port to inject a malicious file on your smartphone and then download your data without your knowledge.
It's not just the charging ports that can be hacked. USB cables are also a problem. With the miniaturization of chips, hackers today know how to hide components in the cables used to extract data from a phone. So you have to be extremely careful with everything related to the USB connection of your Android.
Safely connect a smartphone to a public charging station
To avoid being the victim of a Juice Jacking attack, computer security experts recommend using your own USB charger and connecting it to an electrical outlet. Many restaurants and charging stations offer self-service electrical outlets.
Obviously this implies having your charger permanently on you. If this bothers you, know that today there are small accessories called USB Condom. This data blocking device is fixed between the USB socket and the charging cable.
Once connected, it will physically block data transfer when recharging the smartphone. Only the electric current can pass. Your smartphone is thus protected against malicious USB ports. On the flip side, the USB Condom slightly slows down the recharging speed.
You can also use an external battery. If you are often on the go or on the road, the investment will quickly prove profitable. Note that some models allow you to recharge a phone several times with a single charge.