Description: Juice Jacking is a type of cyber attack that occurs when a public USB charging station is used to steal data from a device.
History: The term ‘Juice Jacking’ began to gain notoriety in the 2010s as public USB charging stations became more common. In 2011, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued warnings about the security risks associated with these stations. As mobile devices became ubiquitous, so did concerns about data security, leading to increased public awareness of this type of attack.
Uses: Juice Jacking is primarily used to steal personal information, such as passwords, banking data, and other sensitive information. Attackers can employ this method to install malware on the victim’s device, allowing them to access data continuously even after the device is disconnected from the charging station.
Examples: A notable case of Juice Jacking occurred in 2017 when several users at a music festival in California reported data theft after using public USB charging stations. Another example occurred in 2019 when a group of hackers demonstrated how they could steal information from a device connected to a manipulated charging station at a tech conference.
