Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Police on Thursday issued an advisory warning people against plugging in mobile phones and devices at public USB charging points like those found at railway stations, restaurants, hospitals, and also inside trains because it can result in data theft. The advisory was issued in response to a sharp increase in cybercrime.

"Avoid using public charging stations for mobile devices or USB power sources, etc. Mobile malware is being installed by cybercriminals in an effort to steal your personal information.

Juice jacking is a term used to describe a particular sort of cybercrime involving infecting a USB cable or public charging station to obtain sensitive information such as passwords, bank information, and credit card information from mobile devices.

According to TechTarget, security risks associated with free mobile device charging stations at airports, malls, and other public locations exist.

In addition to stealing confidential information from the system during the procedure, hackers may also use the port to implant malware into the phone in order to follow the activity on the device. The infection may potentially completely lock the gadget in the end.

According to the paper, a protective accessory called a USB condom can stop such attacks from preventing connections to all but one pin in a USB male connection—the pin that transfers power.

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