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Credit: Robert Triggs / Android Authority
- Juice jacking is on the rise.
- This hacking method uses publicly available USB outlets to skim data from smartphones.
- The FBI is now recommending travelers completely avoid USB outlets in airports.
If you’ve traveled recently, you’ve likely noticed plenty of free USB outlets scattered around airports. As our lives increasingly rely on smartphones and other battery-powered devices, having a place to charge up is essential — especially if you’re stuck at an airport for a few hours.
Unfortunately, using these freely available USB outlets isn’t the best idea. The reason for this is “juice jacking,” a hacking method that uses illegally altered USB outlets to skim smartphone data. Today, an official FBI Twitter account tweeted out a warning to travelers: “Avoid using free charging stations in airports, hotels, or shopping centers.”
