In the coming years, no one knows for sure what form data breaches or cyber-security threats will take.

One Flathead Valley pair has an idea, though, and how to eliminate it before it becomes a widespread option for hackers.

USBeSafe is a small attachment for USB ports that protects mobile devices from transferring data to or from unsecure ports. These ports have become popular at airport terminals, mall kiosks and coffee shops as people charge their phones or computer tablets.

Shawn Jepson, a systems integration specialist at FLIR Systems, which specializes in different security systems, got the idea while traveling for his job. While he had some issues getting his laptop through airport security, he realized most of the files on his laptop were accessible from his phone.

As he sat down on the plane, he saw a USB port for public charging use, and realized how easily someone could have hacked into his phone from the port.

“I was pretty concerned,” Jepson said. “There are USB ports in coffee shops and libraries all over the airport. It wouldn’t be that hard.”

The hacking Jepson was referring to is called “juice jacking,” where an unsecure USB port is used to install or copy data from a mobile device. Hacking software can be installed in or behind a USB port in the wall, or even in a device such as a mobile charging station.

Juice jacking hasn’t been widespread enough to raise a global concern, but it has been documented as early as 2011.

That flight for Jepson was nearly two years ago.

After some consideration about bringing a personal idea to market, Jepson began making plans for a solution.

Jepson, who lives in Lakeside, reached out to Devon Cox, a friend living in Dayton, to join him in the venture. As a marketing specialist for a Portland company, Cox also flies often between Montana and Oregon.

“We found this because of the fact that we both made living in the Flathead Valley a priority,” Cox said. “Having to work from here meant traveling a lot for companies that are out of state. That’s what brought attention to the risk and Shawn’s attention to the solution.”

This formed the team for USBeSafe, a USB drive extension that can remain in a computer’s USB drive or on a USB cord.

On the side of the extension, a switch allows data flow to be shut off between the mobile device and the power source while allowing power to keep flowing. It’s a simple fix to apply, considering the lengths some people already go to protect their information.

“It’s that simple,” Jepson said. “The only weak point is the user forgetting to flip the switch.”

Both Jepson and Cox saw the product as a viable, easily manufactured option through the nature of their work: traveling often, seeing people crowded over the public chargers in airports.

What seemed like a helpful security tool for the business traveler, they thought, could become a common measure used by anyone hoping to keep data from flowing from their device to an unknown recipient.

The data blocker means the device can be plugged into anyone’s computer without causing a system lag by attempting to sync with the computer’s library.

“You can plug it in and the computer never acknowledges there’s a device in it,” Cox said. “I think it has a little more general appeal from that perspective.”

At this point of the entrepreneurial process, USBeSafe is nearly ready for production. What they’re missing is capital and market research. As a route to both, USBeSafe launched a Kickstarter campaign on Thursday to see if the product gains any public traction or if it’s an idea that people believe deserves investment.

“I’m not a proponent of fear mongering,” Jepson said. “Everyone buys insurance. You can spend $20 to close a loophole.”

On the Kickstarter website, USBeSafe asks for $28,000, first to get into the manufacturing stage and then market the product.

It’s the first time either of the USBeSafe team has launched a personal product idea into the public realm, and Jepson said leaving it in the hands of online investors is a mixed bag of emotions.

“It’s more exciting, but definitely nervous,” Jepson said. “We’ve been pushing this along for a couple years now and to be at this point is exciting.”

The payoff, or disappointment, will come on New Year’s Day when the Kickstarter campaign closes.

To find out more about USBeSafe, visit www.usbesafe.com, where the Kickstarter link also can be found.

Reporter Seaborn Larson may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at slarson@dailyinterlake.com.