When one wire carries data and power, you need to protect against dodgy devices
13 Apr 2016 at 04:17, Simon Sharwood
The USB 3.0 Promoter group says “For a traveler concerned about charging their phone at a public terminal, their phone can implement a policy only allowing charge from certified USB chargers.” Or perhaps you're worried that your organisation's laptop fleet could be compromised by rogue USB devices, in which case you “can set a policy in its PCs granting access only to verified USB storage devices.” It's not clear if that will allow organisations to specify individual devices, or just devices whose manufacturers have implemented the spec.
USB-C needs this spec for two reasons. One is that, not to put to fine a point on it, users are idiots. How else to explain the fact that almost half the people who pick up a USB stick they happen across in a parking lot plug said drives into their PCs. Once USB-C becomes ubiquitous and makes a single wire responsible for carrying power and data, even the dimmest hackers will likely cotton on to the opportunities to craft crooked chargers or other evil devices.
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