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posted by Fnord666 on Friday December 13 2019, @11:34AM   Printer-friendly
from the free-charging-here! dept.

Submitted via IRC for TheMightyBuzzard

If you connect your devices to anything public, be it wireless or wired Internet, or USB power charging stations, it is best to assume that these are not safe. While you can protect your data in several ways, e.g. by using a VPN when you need to access the Internet while connected to a public or untrusted network, it is sometimes the case that simple things are overlooked. In November 2019, Los Angeles' District Attorney's Office published an advisory to travelers about the potential dangers of public USB ports. These ports could be used for an attack that has been called juice-jacking. Juice Jacking basically allows attackers to steal data or infect devices that unsuspecting people plug into specifically prepared USB power stations. The Distrcit[sic] Attorney's Office recommended that travelers use AC power outlets directly, use portable chargers, or charge devices in cars instead of using public USB chargers. While that is sound advice, it may not be possible sometimes to use these alternatives. That's where the Original USB Condom comes into play.

Source: https://www.ghacks.net/2019/12/09/usb-condoms-are-a-thing-now/

Is "juice jacking" really a thing though? Have any of you soylentils out there actually seen a rogue USB plug in the wild?


Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 4, Funny) by maxwell demon on Friday December 13 2019, @11:46AM (3 children)

    by maxwell demon (1608) on Friday December 13 2019, @11:46AM (#931678) Journal

    But are you allowed to show an USB condom on American TV?

    --
    The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
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  • (Score: 4, Funny) by BsAtHome on Friday December 13 2019, @01:57PM

    by BsAtHome (889) on Friday December 13 2019, @01:57PM (#931690)

    The ProLife guard will soon enough try to ban it through legislation. All life, natural or artificial, must be allowed to procreate. No humans may intervene.

    /s

  • (Score: 2) by theluggage on Friday December 13 2019, @02:01PM

    by theluggage (1797) on Friday December 13 2019, @02:01PM (#931694)

    Plus, I want an instructional video showing me how to put one on a banana (which, as I understand it, is how you use regular ones) - also, if I'm travelling in Africa or South America, will a plantain work instead?

    (What!? You put them on your USB cable? Ick, gross!)
     

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 13 2019, @03:39PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday December 13 2019, @03:39PM (#931722)

    /ˌjuː es ˈbiː/

    "a", not "an"