You might get more than you bargained for.
That sense of relief when you see a public USB charging point might be misplaced.
There are increasing numbers of public USB charging points around. From aircraft and buses to fast-food restaurants, cafes, shopping malls and other public spaces, running out of power seems like a thing of the past. But how safe are these points really?
DON’T BE TEMPTED!
In early April, the FBI Denver office warned of ‘juice jacking’. The FCC agreed with a similar warning a few days later.
It seems that charging points are offering more than a few more minutes of battery life.
CYBER-SECURITY RISK
Hackers have found a way to embed their malware into these seemingly innocent and friendly charging stations so they can cause havoc on your phone or tablet.
That’s because USB isn’t just about electricity – it is also good for copying data between devices.
Once they are on your phone, they can steal your details, from your email address to other credentials and even passwords.
That data connection can be like connecting another phone or laptop to your device, and the ability to copy to and from it without you knowing.
The good news is that this doesn’t seem to be widespread, yet.
Always use your OWN cable and battery pack.
Take no chances and assume that a hacker got to every public port before you and has added their little malware pack to it.