The scary reason you shouldn't use airport USB charging stations
On the long list of most annoying places for your phone to run out of battery, the airport is at the tippy top.
Besides not having access to your music library in the skies, important information – such as flight details and boarding passes – are stored on your phone, and without them you're kind of screwed.
Luckily, almost every airport has free USB charging stations for charger-less flyers. However, security experts allege they aren't safe to use.
Although convenient, airport chargers pose a threat to flyers. iStock
Vice President of X-Force Threat Intelligence at IBM Security, Caleb Barlow, claims these stations can be modified by cybercriminals to install dangerous malware on your phone, or even download personal information without you knowing.
"Plugging into a public USB port is kind of like finding a toothbrush on the side of the road and deciding to stick it in your mouth. You have no idea where that thing has been," Barlow told Forbes. “And remember that that USB port can pass data.”
Vice President of X-Force Threat Intelligence at IBM Security, Caleb Barlow, claims these stations can be modified by cybercriminals. iStock
Fearing airport USB ports may seem extreme, but recent data proves otherwise.
The 2019 IBM X-Force Threat Intelligence Index reveals that the transportation industry has become a priority target for cybercriminals as the second-most attacked industry — up from tenth in 2017.
According to the index, 566 million records from the travel and transportation industry have been leaked or compromised since January, 2018.
How do I avoid my personal data being stolen at the airport?
Fearing airport USB ports may seem extreme, but recent data proves otherwise. iStock
The best way to avoid unwanted malware and your data being stolen via airport USB cables is to avoid them all together.
Bring your charger from home and plug it into a wall outlet, purchase a portable power bank or use the USB port in your laptop to charge your phone.
If you insist on using airport USB charging stations, Barlow recommends investing in a Juice-Jack Defender.
"It's a little dongle you can put in front of your charging cord that basically blocks any data from passing down the cord. It only passes the voltage," says Barlow.
