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General How to Protect your device from Malicious Charger

mlts22 said:
I wouldn't hesitate to buy it. It can even be called a "charger firewall" or some stuff like that. I'd definitely buy a version made out of clear plastic so it is obvious that the data lines are not going through.
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LOL, love the name "Charger firewall" I'll send you one unit free if I end up using it ;) (and the funding is successfully)

Samanosuke said:
Pair lock on a jailbroken iPhone does the same.
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Software based solutions dont work, if the hacker have access to the low level implementation or bootloader

Samanosuke said:
As another poster said its not an issue to most users, otherwise people would be concerned.
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Well, the fact that is NOT a concern is what make it more dangerous, hackers take advantage of missinformation and unknown holes, not to the one that are well documented

imurdaddy said:
You broadcasted your idea publicly before protecting it...?
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Sure, why not, If anyone else have the resources or capabilities to execute it, be my guest.
 
Did it, Kickstarter will be live August 21

Hey MacRumors, and friends

I went ahead and truck my way into the project, and I will be giving it a shot on kickstarter starting August 21st, I received a really overwhelming positive feedback so I hope enough people think it is a cool idea and we can make it happen.

You can get more information here:

Official press release here: http://bit.ly/14Heb2B

Website is also up an running: LockedUSB Adapter
 
Excellent, maturola! Glad to hear it & looking forward to supporting it!

If the 3 in 1 cable isn't a necessity to use with the adapter, you might consider a Kickstarter bundle that includes 2 or more of the LockedUSB adapters as an option instead. While the cable is a nifty idea in itself, I'm probably not the only one who has no use for it--while a second adapter can be handed off to a friend or significant other. Or used as a backup when I invariably lose the first one. :D
 
IrishVixen said:
If the 3 in 1 cable isn't a necessity to use with the adapter, you might consider a Kickstarter bundle that includes 2 or more of the LockedUSB adapters as an option instead. While the cable is a nifty idea in itself, I'm probably not the only one who has no use for it--while a second adapter can be handed off to a friend or significant other. Or used as a backup when I invariably lose the first one. :D
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Thanks guys! :)

Kickstarter doesn't allow bundles of multiple quantities of the same item. So there is an option to get only the LockedUSB adapter if that is all you want. If the campaign picks up, I would make available a way to backers to request multiples units using the website.

:D
 
Nice idea but

If you are going to spend $8-9 on a usb adapter just to charge when your out and about in a public place for fear of security, why not just buy a portable juice pack to charge, they can be had for the same amount.

If you are in a hotel etc surely you would use your own wall charger?

Or even better for those that are cheap skates, cut back some of the insulation and cut the data lines or remove the two contacts in the USB plug itself?
 
This is what I carry when I travel to charge my iDevices

No chance of any data theft
 

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shavermcspud said:
If you are going to spend $8-9 on a usb adapter just to charge when your out and about in a public place for fear of security, why not just buy a portable juice pack to charge, they can be had for the same amount.

If you are in a hotel etc surely you would use your own wall charger?

Or even better for those that are cheap skates, cut back some of the insulation and cut the data lines or remove the two contacts in the USB plug itself?
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For me at least:

--This is smaller than any juice pack I own or even have seen. Juice packs in the $10 price range tend to be too flaky for my tastes. (I'm open to hear about any in this price range that are reliable; I'm leaning towards a $20 cylinder one from Anker that was rec'd in the Accessories forum because my current one is too big to carry daily.) Juice packs big enough to handle an iPad are nowhere near this price range, so something like this makes even more sense for those. Plus, I'd rather save that battery for times when wall charging isn't available.

--in a hotel, in my own room, yes, I use my own travel charger; it's the same one dhlizard has. It's awesome, but that sucker is NOT light enough or small enough to be easily pocketable. I'm not going to carry it with me constantly. If I need a quick charge in the lobby while waiting for someone and there's a USB port right there, I'm not going to go clear back upstairs to get my bulky surge suppressor charger. Even the current Apple wall wart cube is more awkward to carry than a slim adaptor of this kind.

--as for DIY, sure, that works. But to make a data-free USB setup like you describe, I'd have to buy yet another lightning cable to sacrifice to the cause, because the ones I have I actually do use for data transfer, not just charging. Even a good generic (Amazon) will cost me as much as buying this device...and I'd still have to do the work.

At least for me, this is a no brainer. Maturola's device + a 4" cable that I already own is going to be an easy, inexpensive, very portable setup for charging in public ports without having to worry about data theft. Sure, the product won't be for everyone. The question is, will enough people find it useful for it to catch on, and that's the point of putting it on Kickstarter. It'll be interesting to see how it does.
 
IrishVixen said:
At least for me, this is a no brainer. Maturola's device + a 4" cable that I already own is going to be an easy, inexpensive, very portable setup for charging in public ports without having to worry about data theft. Sure, the product won't be for everyone. The question is, will enough people find it useful for it to catch on, and that's the point of putting it on Kickstarter. It'll be interesting to see how it does.
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Thank you Irish...:D This describe perfectly what the LockedUSB is intended for.

Also let me noted my personal experience, since I also carry a device similar to what dhlizard linked. Usually I encounter that I cannot easily use my own AC plug at the nightstand, since the 2 AC outlets there are taken by a Lamp and an Alarm Radio. Most os the newer Hotels offer a Dock on those alarm radios that I just don't trust, so If i want to use my own charger I need to unplug one of those, and sometime that is not easy, My other alternative would be to trust that Alarm/radio and use the Dock or the provided USB port (both exposing me to Hacking).

Anyways..

The Project is live, and we are having a great first day, we already reach almost 15% of my Goal in just a few hours of being up. we are also feature on the "popular" section of Kickstarter.

Come check it out: LockedUSB Adapter - USB Charger Firewall & Power Optimizer
 
maturola said:
Also let me noted my personal experience, since I also carry a device similar to what dhlizard linked. Usually I encounter that I cannot easily use my own AC plug at the nightstand, since the 2 AC outlets there are taken by a Lamp and an Alarm Radio. Most os the newer Hotels offer a Dock on those alarm radios that I just don't trust, so If i want to use my own charger I need to unplug one of those, and sometime that is not easy, My other alternative would be to trust that Alarm/radio and use the Dock or the provided USB port (both exposing me to Hacking).
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Isn't that the truth? I moved the bed out from the wall in one place just to get to the damn outlet. Was glad I'd brought a six foot extension cord with me. LOL Seriously though, half the time, I end up putting my devices across the room near an accessible outlet. Being able to use a provided port securely will make things a bit easier, and as promised, I backed this project today.

Congrats on making the "Popular" page, and good luck with the project!
 
Boys, just unplug the silly radio. Your phone is your alarm, anyway.

But I do like this product, considering....
 
Grats!

Grats!! on the Funding, I really like the idea and Pledged on the project earlier.

Hope to see some stretch goal soon :D

Good luck Mat.
 
Congrats on successful funding! :cool:
The core audience you should get are companies that give devices to their employees. Then it's easier to sell to the average consumer! GL
 
Thank you guys, I am very excited :D support had been incredible.

Would love to find an IT hookup =)

Working on some stretch goal as I type :rolleyes:
 
Quick Update!

Quick update for everyone who help me get this project started, we got funded and recently fulfilled all the rewards, we still have some inventory left on the website if anyone is interested.

Trying to get in contact with "mlts22" to send him a unit for his naming contribution :)

Thanks
 
LockedUSB Adapter MK2 is Live at Kickstarter

Hey Everyone,

It been over a year since I started this idea and it had grown incredibly, the feedback had been overwhelmingly positive. So I expend some time addressing the biggest complaint we had on the original version which was the size and the fact that in most cases it blocked the near by USB ports.

So Today I launch my second kickstarter campaign for the Mark II of LockedUSB Adapter.

Check it out: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1137339450/lockedusb-adapter-mk2-usb-charge-only-and-power-op

Any feedback is always welcome, sharing with your friends and social media always help even if the project is not for you.

PS: I'm still looking for "mlts22" so he can get his free LockedUSB
 
Someone tried a kickstarter last time this came up as an issue, and it failed, because the real solution would be for Apple to patch the hole, which with all this press is very likely.

All it needs to do is run a simple handshake command with what you're charging it with, and decline to connect the data pins for those connections without proper credentials. Simple fix, Apple will beat you to market.

And my personal opinion, if you're going to make an adaptor for a WHITE iPhone cable, wouldn't it make sense to make it white? This already exists for Android, so there's no chance you'd get it patented, or likely ever see it to market. In fact, your image looks an awful lot like the Android version, hmmm. LOL
 
shenan1982 said:
Someone tried a kickstarter last time this came up as an issue, and it failed, because the real solution would be for Apple to patch the hole, which with all this press is very likely.

All it needs to do is run a simple handshake command with what you're charging it with, and decline to connect the data pins for those connections without proper credentials. Simple fix, Apple will beat you to market.

And my personal opinion, if you're going to make an adaptor for a WHITE iPhone cable, wouldn't it make sense to make it white? This already exists for Android, so there's no chance you'd get it patented, or likely ever see it to market. In fact, your image looks an awful lot like the Android version, hmmm. LOL
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Actually, including mine, there have been about 5 more campaign that had reach more than 200% their goal.

Software solution like what you suggest are not effective if the hack happen at the boot loader level, or even at the driver level (just like BadUSB vulnerability). Only a truly hardware firewall that disconnect the data line can protect your mobile device.
 
maturola said:
Actually, including mine, there have been about 5 more campaign that had reach more than 200% their goal.

Software solution like what you suggest are not effective if the hack happen at the boot loader level, or even at the driver level (just like BadUSB vulnerability). Only a truly hardware firewall that disconnect the data line can protect your mobile device.
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I guess. America loves to let the government tell them what to eat, how to shop, what to buy, etc. The public seems to crave protection from themselves. I just am careful where I plug in my phone. I don't wear tin foil. If someone wants to steal my photos, so be it. Anyone who knows engineering knows a USB charger in a Delta plug at an airport doesn't pose a risk. I suppose if you want certainty that you're protected, just use a power brick, not sure why that's such an issue.

On the flipped, how does one know YOUR adaptor isn't collecting data? Oh snap.
 
shenan1982 said:
On the flipped, how does one know YOUR adaptor isn't collecting data? Oh snap.
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Nobody worries about an issues until it becomes an issue and that's what most hackers and social engineers take advantages of.

It's very simple to determine if the device is doing anything, check continuity on the data lines and see what you get. Even if it collecting data it is not connected to anything so there is no way to transmit that date anywhere.

Like any other product, some people would like it, most of the customer I had, had been victim of identity theft, so they feel they want to take any precautions they can, most people who haven't been victim don't care much about it.
 
Hey good to see my bud Maturola around again.
I like the idea and concept behind it. Hope to see it take off and see you on Shark Tank soon getting a chance to market it and sell it to the public via many popular distribution stores.
 
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