Charging the phone in cargo centers at airports and public places presents the phones at risk of "stealing the juice"
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Charging the phone in cargo centers at airports and public places presents the phones at risk of "stealing the juice" |
It was widely believed that smartphones could be hacked when they were shipped using a USB data cable, but a new study revealed that it was also possible to penetrate smart phones through conventional power cables once connected to an energy source.
In a study published in the scientific journal Informatics and Security, researchers warned that public transport units could be used to penetrate smart phones and snoop on Web sites viewed by a user on his mobile phone.
The user often charges a smartphone at a shipping hub in airports and public places. If the center is hacked, the user risks exposing his phone to the risk of data theft through the USB data cable, the so-called " Steal the juice, "according to researchers.
The study by the New York Institute of Technology is the first to show that even without a data cable, hackers can analyze the power consumption of the device to see user-specific, accurate, and speed-based information on a number of factors.
"Web pages have special fingerprints that reflect the way energy is loaded and consumed, and these effects are like fingerprints that help hackers know the Web sites on the smartphone," says researcher Paolo Gaste.
In a previous study, researchers cautioned that the cable you used to charge your phone was also used to send data from your phone to other devices. For example, when your iPhone connects your Mac to a charger, you can still download images from your phone to your computer.
Therefore, if a USB port is hacked, there is no limit to what a victim can get from your phone, including e-mail, text messages, images, and contacts.
To avoid the risk of hacking your phone and violating your privacy in public, use a mobile external battery to charge your phone whenever necessary.
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