What is Juice Jacking? Here's why you should be worried and ways to avoid it

There’s no doubt that India is fast-moving into the digital age, with smartphone becoming the primary means of communication for well over half a billion people. And in this emerging digital economy, smartphones also play a major role in financial transactions.

However, despite various safety measures executed on both Android and iOS devices, they are susceptible to attacks. One such attack is called “Juice Jacking”.

It is a cyberattack where a hacker can steal all your personal data from your phone. You too could have been a victim of this simple attack, wherein all the hacker has to do is get you to the nearest charger. Yes, many a times we have charged our mobile devices at airports and lounges, and if you did use a data cable to charge your device, you could’ve been hacked too.

Two of the major threats of Juice Jacking include Data Thievery and Malware Installation. Both threats can result in the theft of your personal files and GPS data as well as financial information. So is there any way to avoid these threats?

The first and most obvious way to avoid ‘juice jacking’ is to avoid charging your device publicly. A power bank will go a long way to helping you avoid any attacks. And if you are going to charge your device in public, bring your own charger and cable and use a wall outlet or using a personal charging-only cable.

Always keep your phone locked when charging it and ensure your device gets timely software and security updates. You can also disable automatic data transfer through the Settings app on both Android and iOS smartphones. Users can also get a device called a ‘USB Condom’, which provides a “protective barrier between your device and 'juice-jacking' hackers.

Juice Jacking remains a credible threat and it is always important to be mindful of such threats. However, instances of such attacks are rare, and chances are you have little reason for concern. But it is always better to be safe than sorry!