Don't trust
Smartphone batteries are bigger than ever but we spend enough time on any of them that the opportunity for a quick charge-up is something we rarely pass by. But maybe we should, at least when it comes to public charge stations. According to the FBI, they're just plain dangerous., and refers to attackers hijacking charge stations in city streets, airports, and other public venues where people might casually stop and charge up one of.
The reason such attacks are so effective is that the USB-C, USB-3, and lighting ports are dual-purpose: they have pins for power and pins for data. When you plug your phone into a charger, it's only using the charge pins. If you were to use a compromised charge station or cable, it might also be using the data pins. Those pins could be used to deliver a malware payload directly to your phone.
Even so, as we travel, it's a good reminder to, well, not trust any old port. If you must use such a port, bring a cable that firmly locks out data access .. Finally, we suggest traveling with your own charge adapter and cable and plugging your phone directly into a wall outlet, which only delivers electricity and not data.Good technology security is like good hygiene. You can no more practice it sometimes than you can wash your hands just once a week.
Public charge ports proliferated over the two decades even as we learned about their inherent safety risks. That means it's up to us to be smart about when, if ever, we use them.
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