PortaPow USB-A to USB-C Data Blocker (2)

“Juice Jacking” is not new. It was first identified as a potential vulnerability back in 2011. It has been making the rounds in the news since. The attack is diabolically simple. It takes advantage of the USB standard at the hardware level. See photos for reference. When you plug your device into an infected USB port (or cord) at an airplane, airport, coffeeshop, or Uber, you’re putting your digital security at risk of being infected with malware that will hijack your device or, worse, lay dormant to collect and transmit your sensitive information without showing any external symptoms.To guard against juice jacking, you could follow a few simple but effective precautions:  1️⃣ Do not plug into a public USB port.2️⃣ Do not use a USB cord from a stranger.3️⃣ Use a portable power bank, or a wall charger (acts as buffer), and your own cord.4️⃣ Use a USB data blocker.👉 USB Data Blockers are simple and effective devices that work at the physical level, actually removing the two leads used to transfer data in and out of your device. That leaves only power and ground leads. This is something you can actually verify with your own eyes. See photos for reference.👉 Another simple way to check if the blocker you received is effective is to plug it into your laptop and plug a thumb drive in to see if your laptop recognizes it. It shouldn’t since it lacks data leads. 👉 I have tested this PortaPow Data Blocker for charging and data blocking, and in my testing, it worked exactly as advertised. It’s a simple device, done well, and priced reasonably. I highly recommend it. Another alternative is data blockers made by Eyebloc, but those seem to be always sold out.  Final Thoughts 🧐 If you travel a lot, especially internationally, you will inevitably be in a situation where you have to use a USB port to recharge your phone. This happens often when you’re seated in an airplane and there’s only a USB port and no other sockets within easy reach. For those and similar scenarios, this little doohickey will be there to keep you safe. Just buy them, and toss them into your accessory bag for your next trip. It’s better to have them and not use them than the other way around. I hope my review has helped you make a more informed buying decision 👍😊✌️ — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —One more thing 🤓Here are a few important caveats PortaPow includes with its product.- “Our SmartCharge chip detects whether your device uses the Apple, Universal or Samsung spec and sends the correct signal, ensuring the adaptor does not become a bottleneck.”- “This adaptor will not solve charging issues caused by a low quality / extra long cable (how long is extra long🤔)”- “Devices which charge using Qualcomm Quick Charge, Samsung Adaptive Fast Charge, or similar standards require data transfer to be enabled and a compatible charger, and so will not charge at extra fast speeds from normal USB sockets or with a data blocker.”

Useful for public charging, like airplanes, airports, hotels, and rental cars. The adapter lacks the wires for data communication.

These work as intended, they are very solid to the touch and just seem feel like a well made product. The packaging is very nice and reusable as well. I bought several products from PortaPow and I'm going to leave the same review for all 3 items.

I can't see how it could help me travel. I could see if I tried to use a strange charging port I might get some bad venerial data if I didn't use this.

It does what says and blocks the data. This may cause issues with certain chargers and/or devices that depend on the data lines for communication between the charger and device to configure charging parameters (typically for fast charging) or even activate charging so YMMV. I also like that with the A to C I can charge my iPhone that came with a USB-C cable using an ever prevalent USB type A port.

This device does perform its most basic function of preventing juice jacking, but the listing advertises the inclusion of a smart charging chip to prevent issues with USB charging protocol communication. This either doesn't exist or doesn't work. Using four known good cables I attempted to charge my Samsung S22 Ultra from three different power sources - a dedicated 65W four port wall adapter, a USB 3.0 port on my laptop, and a portable USB battery bank. The battery bank and dedicated 65W adapter had the same result - extremely slow trickle charging (~1 hr to go from 75-85%) and a warning about a cable connection error. The USB 3.0 port on my laptop wouldn't charge the device at all, producing a warning about moisture in the USB port. Great.I'm keeping it for emergencies where it may be slightly better than literally nothing, but nobody should buy this. Maybe the other versions work better, but the USB A -> USB-C one is basically e waste. At least they didn't burn too much carbon shipping it with their "efficient packaging."

Love these. Allows me to charge via USB ports in airports, on planes, in rental cars, and in hotels without the possibility of getting hacked (which is no longer reserved only for spy-movies but is a new method for scammers to exploit). There's no reason you should plug in a data-transfer-allowable cable to charge your device, unless you're also transferring data.I have a USB-A to USB-A and a USB-A to USB-C version as part of my travel charging bag, which saves me from having to use wall-plugs exclusively, or a cigarette lighter adapter for vehicles.I also use it in my own vehicle to prevent Android Auto from connecting when I plug into the USB-A port as I consider it annoying and don't use the feature, but still have it available if I don't use the data blocker and without having to mess with the car's system settings. Less of a security concern in this case and more of a personal preference.

Works as described. Necessary to have if you need to charge your items when away from your home.

I bought this for international travel but my plans got cancelled. However, in testing it worked perfectly by only allowing charging but no data transfer. Should be excellent protection from public USB connections.

Seen this in advert and thought this is a good idea for going on holidays have not used it yet but still a good buy

Public USB charging points, like those at airports, can be a gateway for hackers to access your device. A USB Data Blocker is a simple yet effective solution that allows you to charge your phone, tablet, or computer without exposing your data to potential threats.

Sur ce modèle les broches de données sont réellement absentes donc impossibilité de transfert de données

Great product!