Here’s another really good reason not to use public phone chargers
Travelers should think twice about using public charging stations, report warns
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Although travelers should always be wary when using public Wi-Fi networks, they should also watch out for public charging stations as well, a new report has claimed.
This is according to Adrianus Warmenhoven, a cybersecurity advisor atNordVPN, followingwarnings already issued by the FBIon the emergence of this new cybercriminal tactic.
The popularVPNprovider released astudylast year calming that most holidaymakers are already scared of using public Wi-Fi networks, a fear that seems justified given that the study also revealed a quarter of them have been hacked when using them.
‘Juice jacking’
It seems that now, however, travelers should also be concerned about so-called ‘juice jacking’, where bad actors can manipulate public USB charging stations to delivermalwareand spyware to users' devices. Personal data can also be stolen to commit acts of financial andidentity theftas well.
Is my phone hacked?>How to prevent phone hacking and remove intruders from your device>9 signs your phone has been hacked
The practice can be hard for users to detect, although some may notice suspicious purchases or calls having been made on their device. It may also negatively impact performance, making their phone slower to operate or hotter than usual, which could be signs of malware infection.
The FBI’s advice is to bring your own plug and USB cable to charge from a standard public power outlet instead. Warmenhoven concurs on this point, further advising the use ofpower banksso you won’t need to worry about losing battery power and being forced to reply on public chargers.
Alternatively, Warmenhoven recommends using a USB data blocker, a device that plugs directly into your phone and acts as a shield between your device and the public charging cable.
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Attacks on mobile devices should be taken as seriously as those that occur on desktop platforms. Recently, we have seenmalware delivered via malicious apps that even appear on Google’s own Play Store, which have been downloaded 100 million times.
Lewis Maddison is a Reviews Writer for TechRadar. He previously worked as a Staff Writer for our business section, TechRadar Pro, where he had experience with productivity-enhancing hardware, ranging from keyboards to standing desks. His area of expertise lies in computer peripherals and audio hardware, having spent over a decade exploring the murky depths of both PC building and music production. He also revels in picking up on the finest details and niggles that ultimately make a big difference to the user experience.
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