Think Twice Before Using Public Phone Charging Stations

We all know that panicked feeling when your phone is running out of power and you need a quick charge to tie you over before you can get home. But while convenient, the FBI has put out a warning about using public phone charging stations as you could be exposing your devices to dangerous malware. Known as ‘juice jacking’ by the Federal Communications Commission, these types of malicious phone chargers can be found in malls, hotels and airports and are a seemingly convenient way to charge your phone while on the go. The FBI Tweeted out a warning against using these types of public charging stations earlier this month, stating that bad actors have figured out a way to use public USB ports to spread malware and monitoring software onto devices. These public charging stations are not new, but it is becoming increasingly imperative for everyone to be cautious of technology we have gotten used to seeing around us.  

To avoid the temptation of a convenient public charging station or the helpful charging code in your Uber in the future, purchase a portable phone charger or start a habit of carrying an additional charging cable with you at all times.  Keep in mind that convenience is not worth risking your personal data. More than 50,000 people reported being the victim of a personal data breach in 2021, according to an FBI Internet Crime Report released in late March, resulting in losses of more than $515 million. Separately, malware resulted in reported losses of more than $49.2 million

Get Peace of Mind With Entara

Entara offers complete, integrated IT and cybersecurity solutions tailored to your company’s unique needs and challenges. As an eXtended Service Provider, in addition to managed IT and cybersecurity services, our 24/7/365 incident response team works day, night, and holidays to help businesses recover from cyber-attacks and remediate their systems to avoid repeat events. We employ a range of security integrations, such as email security solutions and user  awareness training, and technology services to better protect our clients’ systems, networks, and data. Connect with us to learn more about how we can support your organization. 

‍

‍