Juice jacking has become more prevalent in the news over the last year. The term refers to hackers setting up malicious code in free public USB chargers at malls, hotels, airports, etc. to read and steal data from mobile devices. But is juice jacking something iPhone owners need to worry about? Let’s look at how susceptible iOS is and how to prevent juice jacking on iPhone.
Duck Duck Go, the company that makes the privacy-focused web browser shared an article today on its blog that looks at the risks of juice jacking and also did a survey. The results found 54 percent of respondents didn’t know about juice jacking.
Duck Duck Go highlights juice jacking “allows hackers to read and export your data, including your passwords. They can even lock your device this way, rendering it unusable.”
Should iPhone users be concerned about juice jacking?
While security flaws can and do happen in any device, including Apple’s products, iPhone (iPad too) is more secure against juice jacking attacks than Android and other devices. While you shouldn’t be worried, it is good to be aware and informed.
iPhone’s built-in protection
The main security measure that should help prevent juice jacking built-in to iOS is the “Trust this Computer?” prompt when an external device or in this case malicious code is asking to access data on your iPhone or iPad. This requires you to enter your passcode to allow the connection.
While it is possible users could mindlessly or accidentally trust a connection with a malicious public USB charger, the flag likely prevents a majority of cases for iPhone owners.
Two simple ways to prevent iPhone juice jacking
Beyond the built-in iOS security, there are two super easy ways to completely prevent juice jacking with iPhone or any mobile device:
- Use your own power adapter and charging cable
- Use a portable battery or battery case
There are products out there like Databloc made to prevent juice jacking but it’s probably best for most to put the money into a nice portable battery for more flexibility and convenience.
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