#Fact Check: Old Photo Misused to Claim Israeli Helicopter Downed in Lebanon!

What is Juice Jacking?

We all use different devices during the day, but they converge to a common point when the battery runs out, the cables and adaptors we use to charge the devices are daily necessities for everyone. These cables and adaptors have access to the only port in the phones and hence are used for juice-jacking attacks. Juice jacking is when someone installs malware or spyware software in your device using an unknown charging port or cable.

How does juice jacking work?

We all use phones and gadgets, like I-phones, smartphones, Android devices: and smartwatches, to simplify our lives. But one thing common in it is the charging cables or USB ports, as the data and power supply pass through the same port/cable.

This is potentially a problem with devastating consequences. When your phone connects to another device, it pairs with it (ports/cables) and establishes a trusted relationship. That means the devices can exchange data. During the charging process, the USB cord opens a path into your device that a cybercriminal can exploit.

There is a default setting in the phones where data transfer is disabled, and the connections which provide the power are visible at the end. For example, in the latest models, when you plug your device into a new port or a computer, a question is pooped asking whether the device is trusted. The device owner cannot see what the USB port connects to in case of juice jacking. So, if you plug in your phone and someone checks on the other end, they may be able to transfer data between your device and theirs, thus leading to a data breach.

A leading airline was recently hacked into, which caused delayed flights across the country. When investigated, it was found that malware was planted in the system by using a USB port, which allowed the hackers access to critical data to launch their malware attack.

FBI’s Advisory

Federal Bureau of Investigation and other Interpol agencies have been very critical of cybercriminals. Inter-agency cooperation has improved the pace of investigation and chances of apprehending criminals. In a tweet by the FBI, the issue of Juice Jakcking was addressed, and public places like airports, railways stations, shopping malls etc., are pinpointed places where such attacks have been seen and reported. These places offer easy access to charging points for various devices, which are the main targets for bad actors. The FBI advises people not to use the charging points and cables at airports, railways stations and hotels and also lays emphasis upon the importance of carrying your own cable and charger.

Tips to protect yourself from juice jacking

There are a few simple and effective tips to keep your smart devices smart, such as –

• Avoid using public charging stations: The best way to protect yourself and your devices is to avoid public charging stations it’s always a good habit to charge your phones in your car, at home, and in offices when not in use.
• Using a wall outlet is a safer option: If it’s too urgent for you to use a public station, try to use wall outlets rather than poles because data can’t get easily transferred.
• Use other methods/modes of charging: If you are travelling, carrying a power bank is always safe, as it is easy to carry.
• Software security: – It’s always advised to update your phone’s software regularly. Once connected to the charging station, lock your device. This will prevent it from syncing or transferring data.
• Enable Airplane mode while charging: If you need to charge your phone from an unknown source in a public area, it is advisable to put the phone on airplane mode or switch it off to prevent anyone from gaining access to your device through any open network.

However, many mobile phones (including iPhones) turn on automatically when connected to power. As a result, your mileage may vary. This is an effective safeguard if your phone does not turn on automatically when connected to power.

Conclusion

As of present, juice-jacking attacks are less frequent. While not the most common type of attack today, the number of occurrences is expected to rise as smartphone gadget usage and penetration are rising across the globe. Our cyber safety and security are in our hands, and hence protecting them is our paramount digital duty. Always remember we see no harm in charging ports, but that doesn’t mean that the possibility of a threat can be ruled out completely. With the increased use of ports for charging, earphones, and data transfer, such crimes will continue and evolve with time. Thus, it is essential to counter these attacks by sharing knowledge and awareness of such crimes and reporting them to competent authorities to eradicate the menace of cybercriminals from our digital ecosystem.

Introduction

Intricate and winding are the passageways of the modern digital age, a place where the reverberations of truth effortlessly blend, yet hauntingly contrast, with the echoes of falsehood. Within this complex realm, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has illuminated the darkened corners with its powerful spotlight, revealing the festering, insidious network of misinformation and disinformation that snakes through the virtual and physical worlds alike. Gravely identified by the “WEF's Global Risks Report 2024” as the most formidable and immediate threats to our collective well-being, this malignant duo—misinformation and disinformation. 

The report published with the solemn tone suitable for the prelude to such a grand international gathering as the Annual Summit in Davos, the report presents a vivid tableau of our shared global landscape—one that is dominated by the treacherous pitfalls of deceits and unverified claims. These perils, if unrecognised and unchecked by societal checks and balances, possess the force to rip apart the intricate tapestry of our liberal institutions, shaking the pillars of democracies and endangering the vulnerable fabric of social cohesion.

Election Mania 

As we find ourselves perched on the edge of a future, one where the voices of nearly three billion human beings make their mark on the annals of history—within the varied electoral processes of nations such as Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. However, the spectre of misinformation can potentially corrode the integrity of the governing entities that will emerge from these democratic processes. The warning issued by the WEF is unambiguous: we are flirting with the possibility of disorder and turmoil, where the unchecked dispersion of fabrications and lies could kindle flames of unrest, manifesting in violent protests, hate-driven crimes, civil unrest, and the scourge of terrorism.

Derived from the collective wisdom of over 1,400 experts in global risk, esteemed policymakers, and industry leaders, the report crafts a sobering depiction of our world's journey. It paints an ominous future that increasingly endows governments with formidable power—to brandish the weapon of censorship, to unilaterally declare what is deemed 'true' and what ought to be obscured or eliminated in the virtual world of sharing information. This trend signals a looming potential for wider and more comprehensive repression, hindering the freedoms traditionally associated with the Internet, journalism, and unhindered access to a panoply of information sources—vital fora for the exchange of ideas and knowledge in a myriad of countries across the globe.

Prominence of AI 

When the gaze of the report extends further over a decade-long horizon, the prominence of environmental challenges such as the erosion of biodiversity and alarming shifts in the Earth's life-support systems ascend to the pinnacle of concern. Yet, trailing closely, the digital risks continue to pulsate—perpetuated by the distortions of misinformation, the echoing falsities of disinformation, and the unpredictable repercussions stemming from the utilization and, at times, the malevolent deployment of artificial intelligence (AI). These ethereal digital entities, far from being illusory shades, are the precursors of a disintegrating world order, a stage on which regional powers move to assert and maintain their influence, instituting their own unique standards and norms.

The prophecies set forth by the WEF should not be dismissed as mere academic conjecture; they are instead a trumpet's urgent call to mobilize. With a startling 30 percent of surveyed global experts bracing for the prospect of international calamities within the mere span of the coming two years, and an even more significant portion—nearly two-thirds—envisaging such crises within the forthcoming decade, it is unmistakable that the time to confront and tackle these looming risks is now. The clarion is sounding, and the message is clear: inaction is no longer an available luxury.

Maldives and India Row

To pluck precise examples from the boundless field of misinformation, we might observe the Lakshadweep-Malé incident wherein an ordinary boat accident off the coast of Kerala was grotesquely transformed into a vessel for the far-reaching tendrils of fabricated narratives, erroneously implicating Lakshadweep in the spectacle. Similarly, the tension-laden India-Maldives diplomatic exchange becomes a harrowing testament to how strained international relations may become fertile ground for the rampant spread of misleading content. The suspension of Maldivian deputy ministers following offensive remarks, the immediate tumult that followed on social media, and the explosive proliferation of counterfeit news targeting both nations paint a stark and intricate picture of how intertwined are the threads of politics, the digital platforms of social media, and the virulent propagation of falsehoods.

Yet, these are mere fragments within the extensive and elaborate weave of misinformation that threatens to enmesh our globe. As we venture forth into this dangerous and murky topography, it becomes our collective responsibility to maintain a sense of heightened vigilance, to consistently question and verify the sources and content of the information that assails us from all directions, and to cultivate an enduring culture anchored in critical thinking and discernment. The stakes are colossal—for it is not merely truth itself that we defend, but rather the underlying tenets of our societies and the sanctity of our cherished democratic institutions.

Conclusion 

In this fraught era, marked indelibly by uncertainty and perched precariously on the cusp of numerous pivotal electoral ventures, let us refuse the role of passive bystanders to unraveling our collective reality. We must embrace our role as active participants in the relentless pursuit of truth, fortified with the stark awareness that our entwined futures rest precariously on our willingness and ability to distinguish the veritable from the spurious within the perilous lattice of falsehoods of misinformation. We must continually remind ourselves that, in the quest for a stable and just global order, the unerring discernment of fact from fiction becomes not only an act of intellectual integrity but a deed of civic and moral imperative.

References 

• https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/world/election-fuelled-misinformation-is-serious-global-risk-in-2024-says-wef/articleshow/106727033.cms
• https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/100124/misinformation-tops-global-risks-2024.html
• https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/India/fact-check-in-lakshadweep-male-row-kerala-boat-accident-becomes-vessel-for-fake-news/ar-AA1mOJqY
• https://www.boomlive.in/news/india-maldives-muizzu-pm-modi-lakshadweep-fact-check-24085
• https://www.weforum.org/press/2024/01/global-risks-report-2024-press-release/

Introduction

According to a draft of the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023, the Indian government may have the authority to reduce the age at which users can agree to data processing to 14 years. Companies requesting consent to process children’s data, on the other hand, must demonstrate that the information is handled in a “verifiably safe” manner.

The Central Government might change the age limit for consent

The proposed Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2022 in India attempts to protect child’s personal data under the age of 14 through several provisions. The proposed lower age of consent in India under the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2022 is to loosen relevant norms and fulfil the demands of Internet corporations. After a year, the government may reconsider the definition of a child with the goal of expanding coverage to children under the age of 14. The proposed shift in the age of consent has elicited varied views, with some experts suggesting that it might potentially expose children to data processing concerns.

The definition of a child is understood to have been amended in the data protection Bill, which is anticipated to be submitted in Parliament’s Monsoon session, to an “individual who has not completed the age of eighteen years or such lower age as the central government may notify.” A child was defined as an “individual who has not completed eighteen years of age” in the 2022 draft.

Under deemed consent, the government has also added the 'legitimate business interest' clause

This clause allows businesses to process personal data without obtaining explicit consent if it is required for their legitimate business interests. The measure recognises that corporations have legitimate objectives, such as innovation, that can be pursued without jeopardising privacy.‍

Change in Data Protection Boards

The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2022, India’s new plan to secure personal data, represents a significant shift in strategy by emphasising outcomes rather than legislative compliance. This amendment will strengthen the Data Protection Board’s position, as its judgments on noncompliance complaints will establish India’s first systematic jurisprudence on data protection. The Cabinet has approved the bill and may be introduced in Parliament in the Monsoon session starting on July 20.

The draft law leaves the selection of the Data Protection Board’s chairperson and members solely to the discretion of the central government, making it a central government set-up board. The government retains control over the board’s composition, terms of service, and so on. The bill does specify, however, that the Data Protection Board would be completely independent and will have a strictly adjudicatory procedure to adjudicate data breaches. It has the same status as a civil court, and its rulings can be appealed.

India's first regulatory body in Charge of preserving privacy

Some expected amendments to the law include a blacklist of countries to which Indian data cannot be transferred and fewer penalties for data breaches. The bill’s scope is limited to processing digital personal data within Indian territory, which means that any offline personal data and anything not digitised will be exempt from the legislation’s jurisdiction. Furthermore, the measure is silent on the governance of digital paper records.

Conclusion

The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2022 is a much-needed piece of legislation that will replace India’s current data protection regime and assist in preserving individuals’ rights. Central Government is looking for a change in the age for consent from 18 to 14 years. The bill underlines the need for verifiable parental consent before processing a child’s personal data, including those under 18. This section seeks to ensure that parents or legal guardians have a say in the processing of their child’s personal data.