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takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

The days of killer USB Type-C cables may soon be over [tomshardware.com]:

The USB Promoter Group announced a new cryptographic authentication protocol for USB Type-C [tomshardware.com] devices that should put an end to faulty as well as malicious Type-C chargers and devices.

The USB Type-C standard was designed for both charging and data transfers as a convenience feature to allow people to carry fewer cables with them and to help device manufacturers cut costs. However, once the two were combined, the risk that people would become infected by plugging their laptops and smartphones with strange USB Type-C chargers or devices also increased. The USB devices could have embedded malware, which could infect host devices. The chargers could also be uncertified and use lower quality standards, which could risk damaging the host notebooks or smartphones.

The new authentication protocol for USB Type-C aims to fix both problems by allowing users to set policies that would restrict their devices to using only USB chargers that are compliant with the standard or automatically block them until their authenticity has been confirmed. The verification will be done right when the cable is connected, before any power or data is transmitted to the host device.

Previously:

One Manufacturer's "Fundamentally Dangerous" USB Type-C Cable Fries Hardware [soylentnews.org]
Amazon Bans Non-Compliant USB Type-C Cables [soylentnews.org]

Original Submission