Geauga County Sheriff's Office issued the following announcement on April 2.
The Geauga County Sheriff’s office receives information from law enforcement agencies across the country on a daily basis. We recently received information that the Sheriff felt pertinent to pass along to the residents of Geauga County. The travel season is starting up and as we travel across the country people need to be aware of possible vulnerabilities while using public charging stations for cell phones, laptops, and electronic tablets.
If your battery is running low, be aware that charging your electronic device at free USB port charging stations, such as those found near airport gates, in hotels and other travel-friendly locations, could have unfortunate consequences. You could become a victim of "juice jacking," a new cyber-theft tactic.
Cybersecurity experts have warned that criminals can load malware onto public USB charging stations to maliciously access electronic devices while they are being charged. Malware installed through a dirty USB port can lock a device or export personal data and passwords directly to the perpetrator. Criminals can use that information to access online accounts or sell the information that is on your device.
Don't let a free USB charge wind up draining your bank account. Here are some tips to help you avoid becoming a juice jacking victim:
- Avoid using a USB charging station. Use an AC power outlet instead.
- Bring AC, car chargers, and your own USB cables with you when travelling.
- Carry a portable charger or external battery.
- Consider carrying a charging-only cable, which prevents data from sending or receiving while charging, from a trusted supplier.
Public WiFi networks are another way that cyber criminals target travelers.This trend is called juice jacking.
Juice Jacking is the process of hacking into smart devices by way of a USB port that acts as a conduit for power supply and data transfer. Fraudsters illegally obtain access to a smart device and its data, share screens, and inject harmful malware into the device via this process.
In layman’s terms – juice jacking is the process of hacking into a smartphone or other smart devices via a compromised USB charging port. This could happen when you are charging your smartphone at a public charging booth located at airports, hospitals, coffee shops, or any of several public places.
Until recently, Juice Jacking belonged to twisted fairy tales. Today, however, it’s real, and anybody who charges their smart devices at a public charging booth is susceptible to this attack.
Files that can be hacked through compromised USB charging ports include photos, contacts, notes, messages, videos, private folders, and music.
Although this is not common at this time nor has it been detected in Geauga County Sheriff Hildenbrand would like to remain cautious while travelling this season.
Original source can be found here.
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