How to avoid ‘juice jacking’ this summer

• Experts from the cybersecurity company S2 Grupo have pointed out that this type of cyber-attack via public USBs is expected to increase this summer.

• The consequences are data transfer, information theft, attacks on privacy and malware infection, even remotely.

• If we use public USB it is key to activate only the charging option and disable data transfer from our device.

Valencia, July 26, 2023.- The Valencian company S2 Grupo, specialized in cybersecurity and critical systems management, has highlighted that 'juice jacking' has become one of the most notorious cybersecurity problems in recent months and, therefore, it is necessary to take extreme precautions to avoid falling into this cybercrime during the vacations.

"Juice jacking is a malicious technique that involves manipulating public USB ports to steal data and affect the security of the electronic devices of the users who use them. In this case, cybercriminals install hardware or software in these ports with the aim of accessing the private information of the connected devices," said José Rosell, managing partner of S2 Grupo.

"When we connect to these USB ports that have been tampered with, unauthorized data transfer occurs. The malware installed in the port can steal personal information, such as passwords, credit card numbers or bank details and, along with this, it can also allow attackers to control the victim's device remotely," said Miguel A. Juan, managing partner of S2 Grupo.

As explained by the company, a very common scenario on vacation can be to run out of battery while waiting for our flight at an airport. Then, we do not find a plug to charge the smartphone, but we do see available USB ports. What seems like the solution to our problem because we will finally have battery, may be the beginning of a bigger problem.

S2 Grupo has insisted that, although we should not be afraid of the use of new technologies despite the cyber dangers that appear, it is important to be aware of them in order to protect ourselves adequately.

In this regard, and in relation to the juicie jacking, they have detailed that there are 4 ways of operating:

1. Installation of fraudulent devices (such as a USB cable) in public ports. These are designed to extract data from connected devices.
2. Installation of malicious software that infects the device that connects to it. In addition, this malware can steal information or control the device remotely.
3. Another way, is with fake charging stations. These appear to be properly enabled to only charge the devices but, in reality, they are transferring data.
4. Finally, this type of cybercrime is also operating through wireless chargers.

Tips to avoid "juicie jacking" this summer:

1. Use our charger and avoid public USBs.
2. Use portable batteries or power banks, which can help us charge our devices in an emergency.
3. If we use public USB, enable only the charging option and disable data transfer from our device.
4. If, when connecting the device to the USB, a message appears on the screen asking if we trust the device, we must answer "NO".
5. It is essential to update the software and antivirus of technological devices because they act as digital shields against threats, detecting and blocking any attempt to infiltrate them.