SCAM ALERT: Why You Shouldn’t Use USB Charging Stations

Republican News Brief:

Cybercriminals are “juice jacking” your data and personal information using public USB ports.
IBM Security research states over 566 million records from the travel and transportation industry have been leaked or compromised since January 2018.
Take precautions like: avoid using airport USB power stations, bring and use your own wall charger, or bring your personal power bank.
If you insist on using public USB ports, it’s highly recommended purchasing a USB adapter from Amazon that prevents the flow of information but allows voltage to pass through.

Here’s the Story:

(RepublicanNews.org) – Cybercriminals are constantly creating new, creative ways to steal your personal data. Believe it or not, they’ve figured out how to hack into your mobile devices by modifying the public USB connections found in airports, hospitals, and other public spaces.

Yup, you read that correctly. Those conveniently placed USB stations are being used as tools to put malware on your mobile devices, downloading your data without your knowledge.

In the criminal world, this is known as “juice jacking.”

Juice jacking is a form of cyber crime that involves transforming a charging port to double as a data connection, typically over USB. This usually involves either installing malware or quickly copying sensitive data from a smartphone, tablet, or other computer device.

According to research from IBM Security, there’s a growing number of hackers targeting these ports nationwide, especially in airports. They reported over 566 million records from the travel and transportation industry have either been leaked or compromised since January 2018.

The report warns travelers to take the necessary precautions and avoid the use of USB power stations if possible. Instead, they suggested travelers bring their own regular wall chargers and power up their electrical gadgets using a wall outlet.

They also recommend travelers bring their own portable power bank to recharge items like cell phones and personal laptops.

If these options are out of the question and you insist on using public USB ports, there’s a USB adapter you can purchase for less than $10 on Amazon. It can help protect your data from being transferred and only allows the voltage to flow through.