Let’s explain What are USB blockersa very interesting security method when you are going to load your phones or PCs in public USB. These are adapters that should have when you travel outside to avoid unnecessary problems and dislikes, although they are still little known.
We are going to start this article explaining what these devices and their concept are, as well as the way they work. And how No one will serve youwe will also tell you what things to look at and take into account when buying one of these digital shields.
What are USB blockers
There are two gold rules to take care of your computer or mobile when you are out of home: do not connect to a Public wifi and not connect your device to a public USB. The reason is that you never know when there may be a cybercriminal taking advantage of these resources to access your mobile through the very insecure Wi -Fi Public or collecting some malware In a USB.
To protect yourself in a public wifi you can resort to a VPNwe have already told you the list of Better VPN. While, USB blockers are the ones that will protect you in public USB In the event that you have no choice but to connect to one.
Because sometimes your mobile or portable runs out of battery, and the urgency of connecting to the USB that you see in a bar, restaurant or airport is greater than protecting you from a criminal who has put malware in it waiting for someone to connect to infect their device.
And why is it dangerous to connect to a public USB? Because there are techniques such as “Juice Jacking” or “Choicejacking”, which are used to Transmit information through cable without your permission. Come on, that you start loading the mobile in a USB, and a program that was in it transfers a virus to your phone or extracts personal data from it.
And this is where these blockers come into play, which are devices that make the connection to a public USB safe acting as an intermediary between the cable that connects to your mobile or computer and the USB port. Make use of a technology that does not allow data transferonly the energy.
How USB blockers work
USB blockers are small adapters that You connect between the cable and the USB port. It is something like a condom: you connect the cable of your device to the blocker, and then connect this blocker to the USB. Thus, the connection is made safely.
This adapter has an internal technology that eliminates the USB flow data lines. Come on, for practical purposes Let the energy pass but block the dataso that you can use a USB to load your mobile or laptop, but they will never transfer data.
If these adapters do not let the data pass They don’t have all internal pins They usually bring traditional adapters. Come on, when you connect a cable to a USB adapter, there are a series of pins that must coincide to transfer both data and energy. In these blockers, those responsible for transferring data will be missing.
And it is basically that, as simple as effective. You are not going to have to do anything. The device has a USB input to connect the cable to it, and a connector to use in the public USB you want.
How to choose the best blocker
These types of USB blockers are not expensive, but it is convenient to take precautions. For a start, Be careful with the cheapestbecause they could not block all the data reliably, or could interfere with the fast charge.
Specifically, you must look at the explicitly indicating that They have unlocked The lines USB-C Superspeed and USB2 D+/D-. These terms may not tell you anything, but they are the ones that ensure that data transfer is cut, but that has fast charging.
Finally, keep in mind that USB blockers are not going to protect you from everything. They only serve to remove the connection lines, but there may be other dangers that use other techniques. Therefore, an external battery or a traditional plug will always be a better option than a public USB.
It is also convenient Know some of the renowned brands of this type of devices. For example, In Xataka Android They make us recommendations such as This Startech model. In it, you can notice that it is physically seen that it does not have all the pins of the traditional USB adapters.
Cover image | Noelia Hontoria
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