Let me start with Selena Larson’s (a CNN tech reporter) opening idea of this article, “I know the feeling: Your battery is low, but you have to keep tweeting. You see a USB port or an outlet in public, plug in your device and feel the sweet relief of your phone charging.”
It is explained in the article that if a port is compromised, there’s no limit to what information a hacker could steal. Security researchers call “Juice jacking” a method hacker utilized to steal mobile devices’ information such as: email, text messages, photos and so forth via a loaded charging station. I believe this is the case of a lot of people out there, especially when travelling. To a surprise, even I.T. security professionals.
One of the best ways to avoid being hacked via a public charging station is to use your own portable USB battery pack. Other good suggestions can also be found in the article below.
http://money.cnn.com/2017/02/15/technology/public-ports-charging-bad-stop/