With summer vacations on the horizon and potential work travel on the schedule, it’s important to understand some risks associated with charging your devices at free, public USB port charging stations, like those found in airports and hotel lobbies.
Don’t become a victim of “juice jacking” (another cyberattack tactic).
Cybersecurity experts warn that malware can be loaded onto public USB charging stations to maliciously access electronic devices while they are being charged. Malware installed through a corrupted USB port can lock a device or export personal data and passwords directly to the perpetrator. Then, that information can be used to access online accounts or even sell it.
Beware: In some cases, criminals may have intentionally left cables plugged in at charging stations. If you plug your device into a USB port and a prompt appears asking you to select “share data” or “charge only,” always select “charge only.”
