What it is
Juice jacking is when a public USB charging port is used to steal data or install malware on your phone or tablet. The same cable that carries power can carry data - a tampered port or cable abuses that to poke your device.
How it works - quick tour
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A malicious kiosk or cable offers power but also exposes a data connection.
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Your device trusts the port and may mount storage or accept commands.
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Attackers can grab files, scrape tokens, or drop spyware in seconds.
What you may notice
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A prompt asking to trust this computer when you only wanted to charge
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File transfer mode turning on by itself
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Odd behavior after charging - new profiles, rapid battery drain, unknown apps
Prevent it
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Use your own wall charger or a USB data-blocker (charge-only adapter).
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Carry a power bank for airports, hotels, and conferences.
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If you must use public USB, deny trust prompts and keep the screen locked.
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On Android, set default USB to Charge only. On iOS, enable Lockdown Mode if appropriate and keep the device locked while charging.
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Keep your OS updated and avoid sideloading from unknown sources.
If you already plugged in
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Unplug immediately if a trust prompt appears.
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Reboot your device and run a mobile security scan.
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Review installed apps, device admin, accessibility, VPN, and MDM profiles - remove anything unknown.
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Change passwords from a clean device and revoke suspicious sessions.
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Watch accounts for unusual logins or 2FA prompts.