How to use the public USB charging port safely?

Not much about the convenience of these public charging ports, but what about safety? Can these smartphone saviors cause any harm to users?

Today, images of USB charging ports in public places are no longer something strange for each of us.Not much about the convenience of these public charging ports, but what about safety?Can these smartphone saviors cause any harm to users?We all know that data can be transferred via a USB connection, so plugging your phone into a public charging port can cause you to steal data?

The risks can be mentioned

Looking at the fact, we shouldn't worry too much about the security risks that may occur when using the public charging port.There have not been many cases of public charging ports causing serious security incidents.However, many risks can still occur when you connect your phone via USB port.The good news is that most of the hazards that can be mentioned are quite easy to prevent and you will not feel inconvenient at all.

The key issue is that USB connections not only transmit power, it also supports data transfer between devices.That's why you can plug your phone into your computer to transfer files, update your phone's operating system, and back up content on your phone.

In theory, when you use the USB charging port feature, other devices will not be able to access the data on your phone.However, in fact, through USB charging ports, people can still try to access the personal data store on your phone or exploit security holes as well as distribute malicious code. on your device.This type of attack is called "juice jacking".

While older phone models will usually allow you to access the data store on your device whenever you plug in a USB cable, today, existing Android phones andiPhonesoften require you to grant the device permission. before you want to share a certain data.For example, the iPhone will prompt you "Trust This Computer" when the connected device wants to access your Iphone.On Android, you must turn on the file transfer mode.Even if you have USB debugging mode enabled, you must still license the device that wants to access your phone.If you do not grant those permissions, the phone will still allow charging through the port but does not allow data transfer.

How to use the public USB charging port safely? Picture 1 How to use the public USB charging port safely? Picture 1

With iPhone, you can rest assured unless your phone is attacked through an unknown security hole related to the charging port.Furthermore, Apple has just added a new mode called 'USB Restricted Mode' to iPhone and iPad devices to prevent these devices from being attacked by password cracking tools that are connected through the data port. Lightning material.

There will be more risks for Android phones.Most Android phones currently running an outdated operating system can easily contain serious security holes that have not been patched, meaning that the device can be hacked via USB as well as in many other ways.The majority of current Android devices come from eight different manufacturers, including Samsung, LG and HTC, which are vulnerable to AT commands transmitted via USB cables.It can be said that the level of security on Android devices is proportional to the new version of the operating system version.However, it is theoretically, in fact, they are still more vulnerable to iOS devices.

Use an adapter that only charges

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If you have to charge your device from a public USB charging port and still have to worry about the risks, you can buy a charger that only charges, they are quite cheap.There is absolutely no problem with this type of adapter.This device is like a small dongle that you will plug into the USB port before connecting the phone's charging cable.Connection pins that act as data transmitters will be disconnected in this dongle, allowing only power to be transmitted through the connection.This device was previously known with a rather funny name, it was 'condom USB'.

However, this adapter also has a small drawback, that is, they only support charging with limited power at 1A, meaning that you cannot use any other fast charging technology.1A is the maximum capacity you get.However, many public USB charging ports even have slower charging speeds.In addition, it is worth noting that the device will only charge at 500mA (0.5A) from the USB port of the computer, so this adapter can speed up charging if you are charging the device from the device. laptop or desktop.

If you are using Android devices, you can also purchase charging cables that act like adongle, then the data transmission pins in the cable will be missing, resulting in the connection for the purpose of giving Data exchange will never be done via cable.As forApple's Lightningportdevices, itseems that there are currently nocharging Lightning-to-USBcablesavailable on the market.However, iOS users can still use charging adapters, which can work with both iPhone and Android phones.

Use your own charger with AC outlet

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In some cases, public charging stations may have both standard AC power outlets and USB charging ports to meet the demand for charging speeds.In this case, ignore the USB charging ports that plug the phone's standard charger directly into the AC outlet.

There will not be any security risks when you use an AC outlet even if network traffic is being transmitted through the power cord.Your device will be safe as long as you use a reliable charger.

Moreover, this method can even help speed up charging for the device.For example, iPhone users can charge the device with an iPad charger or USB-C chargers to save charging time.For example, you can use Anker USB-C 30W rechargeable tubers in conjunction with Apple's USB-C charging cable.Apple of course sells its own 29W USB-C charger, but Anker is cheaper and will help your iPhone charge faster.

Charge with a mobile battery (backup charger)

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This is the most popular and convenient way to charge your phone battery in case you are not at home, simply plug the phone into the battery to charge it whenever you want.Using this charger, you will not have to worry about security, but in return you will have to spend a small cost to buy a spare battery as well as choose the appropriate type to limit the risk of fire when not sewing to buy is less safe.

In the future, wireless charging will be widely available to replace the meager USB charging ports, while also eliminating the security risks coming from USB charging ports.In the future, you can charge your phone at any public wireless charging point without having to worry anymore.

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