The LA District Attorney‘s office last year warned about possible malware at charging stations in airports and train stations this holiday season.
According to them, other people could gain access to data on your phone through “juice jacking,” which uses a USB charger to transfer information along with power as you charge.
So how did it happen?
Hackers will install special software on a public charging station and when you connect your device to that station, the software will automatically upload to the device.
Most smartphones have an automatic data transfer mode that means it is safe, but some older versions of android are vulnerable to hacking. In fact, some may unwittingly activate data transfer mode, exposing themselves to this risk.
When you plug the wire into the computer, you will be asked the question of whether to trust the connected device, but you will not realize that the data transfer has already taken place once the connection is made. There are 2 main risks in this regard. The first is data theft, where when you connect to a station of unknown security level, cyber criminals or hackers can infect your device and steal data.
Special programs allow them to access files and applications, your credit card information, logins and passwords as well as other personal information.
The information obtained is enough to allow hackers to gain full access to your financial accounts.
Another danger is the installation of malware or malware. This is software that can clone all the data in your phone to a hacking device. Installed applications can also collect data such as GPS movements, purchases, social media activities, photos, messages and phone calls.
Risk of advertising software or adware, where you will see unwanted ads on every site you open via a smartphone. The scariest is the one that is downloaded to your computer when you connect the smartphone to the computer
If you run out of battery power in public places, the best thing to do is charge using a natural charger, or powerbank.
Sources: Wbur.com, Forbes.com, Maxim.com