By Darren Allan
USB Type-C cables offer many benefits, but there is a darker side to the new technology, namely firms selling cheap but dodgy cables which when plugged in can potentially fry your laptop – an issue which the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) has now announced a solution for.
Over at IDF 2016 in China, the USB-IF has revealed it’s working on protection from such dangers with the USB Type-C Authentication specification. Essentially, this is a cryptographic-based software solution (utilising 128-bit encryption) which verifies a USB charger or device’s capabilities and certification when it’s plugged into the USB port.
As Ars Technica reports, this verification happens before any data or power connection actually occurs, so if the cable doesn’t support the specification and isn’t certified by the USB-IF, despite being plugged in it won’t be allowed to hook up with your notebook, phone or tablet, and your device won’t be in any danger of being damaged.
Existing hardware with USB Type-C ports should be capable of being patched with a software update to support the new standard, although of course that depends on hardware vendors implementing it. However, existing USB chargers and devices will be left out in the cold.
IT matters
This standard will be …read more
Source:: techradar.com – Computing Components
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