Charging electronic devices at such infected ports may make users victims of juice-jacking, which may lead to installation of malicious apps on their devices, opening up the possibility of data theft or ransom demands to restore it.
The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has issued an advisory in the fast spreading USB charger scam wherein cyber-criminals can use ports at public places such as airports, cafés, hotels and bus stands for malicious activities.
Charging electronic devices at such infected ports may make users victims of juice-jacking, which may lead to installation of malicious apps on their devices, opening up the possibility of data theft or ransom demands to restore it.
The advisory states, “One should think twice before plugging into public charging stations or portable wall chargers and use an electrical wall outlet to charge the mobile device and try to carry your own personal cable or power bank.”
The advisory further states that one must lock the mobile device and disable pairing with a connected device and try to charge it in a switched-off state. The city police sources, meanwhile, stated that so far no case of juice jacking has come to the notice of the police department.