Be wary of charging stations in public places

Washington: In the United States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has warned consumers against using phone charging stations in public places that could potentially transfer malicious software to people’s smartphones.

According to Media News, the FBI in its post shared on AX said that public USB stations found in shopping malls and airports are being used to spread viruses and monitoring software to mobile phones.

The security agency has appealed in a tweet to carry your own power bank or charger and use your own electrical outlet instead of using public charging stations.

While charging stations in public places are a convenience for many people, especially when devices are running low on battery, security experts have been raising concerns about the threat for years.

Drew Peck, a former employee of security firm Authentic8, said that when you simply insert your phone into a public charger socket, your device is infected and all your data can be accessed.

He also said that the same cable you use to charge your phone in public places can also be used to transfer data from your phone to other devices. It’s like when you plug your phone into your computer with a charging cable and then you can download photos from your phone to your computer.