If you're running out of battery on your phone, it might be tempting to use one of the free charging stations you find in airports and shopping centers. But think twice, the FBI warns.
The federal agency is advising people to avoid using these public charge stations because criminals can import malware and monitoring software onto devices via USB ports.
This is known as "juice jacking," which is a cyber-theft tactic, according to a release by the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday.
"Malware installed through a corrupted USB port can lock a device or export personal data and passwords directly to the perpetrator," the commission stated. "Criminals can then use that information to access online accounts or sell it to other bad actors."
It added that criminals may also leave cables plugged in at charging stations or give the tampered cables away as gifts.
California airports
These stations are often seen at airports, providing travelers a chance to charge while they're on the go.
Northern California airports are aware of the issue, but there haven't been reports of juice-jacking.
Scott Johnston, spokesman for the Sacramento International Airport, said that the airport has not had issues with malware.
"We are aware of the issue and we have not received any reports of this type of activity," he said in a statement to The Bee. "We are confident our infrastructure deters this type of activity."
Johnston added that travelers should still be vigilant and look twice before plugging in their phones to make sure there are no signs of tampering at the stations.
Oakland International Airport spokeswoman Kaley Skantz said there have been no reports of juice-jacking, as well, and that the Aviation Security and Information Technology teams are closely monitoring the situation.
"Generally speaking, the majority of publicly available power stations at our airport are AC power outlets which do not carry the malware risks described in the recent warning about USB charging stations," Skantz said.
As for the San Francisco International Airport, Doug Yakel with SFO said they meet regularly with security and law enforcement partners, which includes the FBI, to assess security concerns.
"Also important to note that our public-facing USB ports are charge-only and not part of a network," Yakel said.
How to avoid juice-jacking
According to the Federal Communications Commission, you can prevent juice-jacking by:
- Avoid using a public USB charging station. Use an AC power outlet instead.
- Bring AC, car chargers, and your own USB cables with you when traveling.
- Carry a portable charger or external battery.
- Consider carrying a charging-only cable, which prevents data from sending or receiving while charging, from a trusted supplier.
- 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."
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