We’ve come to rely on our smartphones to help complete daily tasks, and this has resulted in the need to recharge our phones multiple times a day. But when you’re far from your charger, public charging kiosks can seem like a good substitute. However, we are advised to avoid using public USB power charging stations in airports, hotels, malls and other locations because they may contain dangerous malware, the Los Angeles District Attorney said in a security alert published earlier this month.

USB connections were designed to work as both data and power transfer mediums, with no strict barrier between the two. As smartphones became more popular in the past decade, security researchers figured out they could abuse USB connections that a user might think was only transferring electrical power to hide and deliver secret data payloads. This type of attack is known as “juice jacking.”

What is “Juice Jacking?”

While newer phones have ditched the cable charger and moved on to wireless charging, older models still rely on power cords to transmit power to the mobile device. The problem with this setup is that the cable used for charging can also be used for transferring data. This setup is easily exploitable, and trust opportunists to do just that. When you use a public cable, they gain user access by leveraging the USB data/power cable to illegitimately access your phone’s data and/or inject malicious code into your device.

But attacks can also be in the form of malicious code directly injected into your phone. A public USB hub can be used to transmit malware-ridden programs or tracking applications to the user’s mobile phone. All it takes is one minute of being plugged into a harmful charger.

Cyber experts and D.A. officials shared a few tips to keep devices and data safe:

• Use an AC power outlet, not a USB charging station
• Take AC and car chargers for devices when traveling
• Consider buying portable chargers for emergencies

There is also another countermeasure that can be deployed. One of them is using a USB “no-data transfer” cable, where the USB pins responsible for the data transfer channel have been removed, leaving only the power transfer circuit in place. Datum Consulting recommends the plugable USB Charging Adapter when charging your smart devices to avoid malicious threats.

Technology threats are all around us. Even the tiniest detail like charging your phone at a kiosk charger could affect the security of your device. If you are careful, you can significantly reduce your vulnerability.