How Hackers Can Steal Your Data at Airports
Have you ever wondered if it is a bad idea to go online via a busy public Wi-Fi network at an airport? For the most part, this is safe ; your information is probably not at risk if you connect to the correct network. On the other hand, you can rethink plugging your phone into one of those USB charging stations at the gate.
It is possible that cybercriminals could use these stations to download your data and install malware without your consent or knowledge, as Forbes explained this week – a crime called ” juice theft .”
“Connecting to a public USB port is like finding a toothbrush on the side of the road and sticking it in your mouth,” Caleb Barlow, vice president of X-Force Threat Intelligence at IBM Security, told Forbes . “You have no idea where it was. And remember that this USB port can transfer data. “
But while it is quite possible, there is no need to panic yet. There are no widespread reports of juice theft taking place at airports (although if this happens without our knowledge it could be a more frequent crime than we know).
If you don’t like brushing your teeth with a roadside toothbrush or want to be safe, you should probably use a standard charger and plug it into an outlet. You can also purchase a USB condom , a device that prevents communication over a USB cable by cutting off data pins and only allowing power pins , according to Bruce Schneier , a security technologist and research fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University . connect via.
You should also take a portable battery with you on any trip – it can save your life.