Methods and apparatuses, including computer program code are disclosed herein that provide damage protection to cables and connectors. In one aspect, there is provided an apparatus. The apparatus may include an electrical connector comprising a power supply pin and at least one control pin. The apparatus may further include a protective element configured to change a state of the at least one control pin to cause the power supply pin to become inactive. The protective element may be integrated with the electrical connector and/or integrated at one or more locations along the length of a cable.