If you have found yourself in an airport or train station over the last couple of years, chances are that you’ve come across a public USB charging station. These charging stations come in all shapes and sizes, but offer the same service by allowing you to charge your USB device while out of your home.
USB outlets in wall sockets and USB charging stations have become so incredibly common that you may even encounter them in places you wouldn’t expect. Charging stations in particular can often be found in shopping malls, bus stations, your closest library, and even at local community events thanks to their small and portable nature.
As these USB charging stations become more and more common, a larger number of people are more comfortable taking advantage of them to quickly charge their dying smartphones. It’s not uncommon to see several people huddled around a USB charging station at the airport while waiting for a flight. With the rise in their use, cybersecurity experts and government organizations have some warnings for the public about plugging a personal device into a random USB port with reckless abandon.
Why USB charging stations are a bad idea
Both the TSA and the FBI have warned the public against using these USB charging stations, and cybersecurity experts are in agreement with them. The issue with these stations is that cybercriminals can theoretically take advantage of the USB protocol to compromise charging stations using a cyber attack known as juice jacking. The FCC has noted that bad actors are capable of injecting malware onto devices through their USB ports, much in the same way they have with compromised third-party USB cables. That said, it’s also worth noting that the FCC is “not aware of any confirmed instances” of juice jacking occurring in the wild to date.
Compromised USB charging stations can also silently install monitoring software onto your device that can potentially steal sensitive data such as photos, passwords, banking information, personal messages, and more. It’s highly recommended that you avoid using public USB charging stations while traveling in order to stay better protected.
Thankfully, there are options for travelers to stay safe while staying powered up. Your best bet is to purchase your own USB portable battery pack or using your own charger plugged into a wall outlet. If you must use a USB charging station, you can purchase a USB data blocker, which acts as a barrier for your device, blocking data transfer and only allowing power to flow to the device you are charging.
