In April 2023 the FBI and the FCC both warned travelers about "juice jacking," and those warnings have been making the rounds ever since. Here's what it actually means and what to do about it, without the panic.
What juice jacking is
A USB cable carries two things: power and data. That's how your phone can charge and sync photos with a computer through the same cord. Juice jacking is when a tampered charging port or cable uses the data side to try to install harmful software or copy information from your phone while it charges.
How worried should you be?
Honestly, not very. Researchers first demonstrated juice jacking at a security conference back in 2011, and security experts say it happens very rarely in the real world, if at all. Phones have also gotten smarter: modern iPhones and Android phones ask before sharing data with something you plug into.
The risk isn't zero, though. In 2025, researchers at Graz University of Technology showed that a specially built charger could get past those "allow access" prompts on phones from all eight brands they tested, and reach photos and files. Most of those phone makers acknowledged the problem and said they were working on fixes, which is one more reason to keep your phone updated.
Bottom line: it's a low risk with a cheap, easy fix. That makes it worth a simple habit.
Simple habits that take care of it
- Use a wall outlet with your own charger and cable. This is the FCC's first recommendation. A wall outlet only provides power.
- Skip cables left at charging stations or handed out as freebies. The FCC notes criminals have left tampered cables plugged in and given out infected cables as promotional gifts.
- If you have to use a USB port, use a data blocker. A charge-only adapter lets power through and blocks data. The FCC suggests these too.
- Choose "Charge only" or "Don't Trust" if your phone asks to share data with a charger or port you didn't expect.
- Carry a portable battery on long travel days so you're not hunting for a port.
- Keep your phone updated. Security fixes like the ones above arrive through updates.
How a data blocker works
Our Secure Chargers are small adapters that go between your cable and the charging port. They allow power in only, with no data in or out, so the port can't talk to your phone. They support fast charging up to 50W.
They come in three versions: USB-A to USB-C, USB-C to USB-C and USB-A to USB-A. Not sure which ports you'll run into? The Secure Charger USB Kit includes all three, so the whole family is covered in airports, hotels, rental cars and hospital waiting rooms.
Shop the gear mentioned here
- Secure Connections: Secure Chargers and other tools for charging and connecting safely on the road
Heading out on a trip? Read Public Wi-Fi: What's Actually Risky and What Isn't next.
Sources: SC Media, "Free public charging stations may come with a price, federal agencies warn"; Fortune, report on the FBI's public charging station warning (April 11, 2023); USENIX Security 2025, "ChoiceJacking: Compromising Mobile Devices through Malicious Chargers like a Decade ago" (Draschbacher, Maar, Oberhuber and Mangard).