--- title: "You Can Apparently Use a “USB Condom” to Protect Against the FBI’s Latest Boogeyman" description: "The FBI is warning about \"juice jacking\" occurring from public USB charging ports, but luckily, someone's come up with a literal prophylactic." date: "2023-04-17" modified: "2023-04-17" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/usb-condom-juice-jacking" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "cybersecurity" - "hacking" - "smartphones" - "the digest" --- # You Can Apparently Use a “USB Condom” to Protect Against the FBI’s Latest Boogeyman ![The FBI is warning about "juice jacking" occurring from public USB charging ports, but luckily, someone's come up with a literal prophylactic.]() *\Image: Amazon / Futurism\* ## Alerta The FBI and Federal Communications Commission [are]() [warning]() about the dangers of public USB charging ports — but luckily, someone's come up with a literal prophylactic. As [*ZDNet*]() reports, concerns over "[juice jacking]()" — rogue charging ports introducing malware or draining your battery in service of turning your phone into miniature crypto mining hubs — are on the rise. In response, experts have come up with "USB condom" dongles, which can be plugged into public ports to add an additional layer of protection, just like a, well, condom. The only problem? It's unclear just how widespread actual incidents of juice jacking actually are. Neither these dongles nor the hacking technique they're supposed to protect against are exactly new, and incidents of "[USB condoms]()" and "[juice jacking]()" media mentions go back [as far as 2011](), as the cybersecurity firm Reversing Labs noted in a [recent blog post]() about the phenomenon. ## Who Knows Reversing Labs isn't the only entity in the cybersecurity space that is skeptical of the claims. We were able to find [at least]() [two other]() experts who expressed misgivings about the FBI's warning. A public charging kiosk and the Philadelphia international airport also issued statements claiming that the FBI's concerns are overblown, [*CBS News* reports](). Nonetheless, it's better to be safe than sorry. It's pretty freaky to imagine someone stealing your battery to mine crypto or worse, installing malware on your phone that could steal your money. While we can't exactly vouch for these "USB condoms," it's probably best not to plug your phone into public ports at all — and bring your own external charger the next time you leave the house. **More on cybersecurity:** [*ChatGPT Bug Accidentally Revealed Users' Chat Histories, Email Addresses, and Phone Numbers*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()