Many travellers use public USB charging stations in airports to charge their phones, but doing so can expose you to significant risks, according to a tech expert Get the latest top news stories sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter We have more newsletters Get the latest top news stories sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter We have more newsletters Packing for a trip typically involves essentials like your passport, water bottle, and phone charger. But while it might be handily tempting to use airport USB charging stations to power up your device, this could leave you vulnerable to cyber threats. Esimatics CEO, Berk Baryaktar, cautions against the dangers of public USB ports, which he says can easily be tampered with by those with nefarious intentions.
In the cyber world, these opportunistic criminals can exploit these ports to get at your data or sneak malware onto your smartphone in what's known as 'juice jacking', reports the Express . So, what's the real risk when plugging into these ports? Baryaktar elaborates: "Public USB charging stations, commonly found in airports , can be compromised by cybercriminals looking to access personal information stored on your device." He added: "These attackers can install malware or create a connection that intercepts data transferred through the port, a tactic often referred to as juice jacking.
" The repercussions of falling victim to such an attack are not to be underestimated, says Baryaktar. Sensitiv.