Malware Alert! FBI Calls Public Cell Phone Charging Services Very Dangerous

JAKARTA - When traveling long distances, one thing that is needed is a cellphone charging station, and usually these locations are at airports, hotels and shopping centers. However, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) emphasized that the service turned out to be very dangerous.

They warned the public against using free public charging stations, because the FBI found criminals had successfully hijacked public charger ports that could infect devices with malware, or software that could give hackers access to phones, tablets or computers.

"Avoid using free charging stations at airports, hotels or shopping centers," tweeted @FBIDenever.

"Bad actors have found ways to use public USB ports to inject malware and monitoring software onto devices."

Instead, said the United States (US) investigative agency, bring your own charger and USB cable then use a power outlet instead.

Since its discovery in 2021, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has called the tactic "juice jacking", in which malware installed via a USB port can be used to remotely lock devices or export personal data and passwords to hackers.

The FCC also shared tips for avoiding falling victim to juice jacking, including avoiding using USB charging stations and using a power outlet instead, bringing your own USB cable when traveling.

Then, bring a portable charger or external battery. Consider getting a dedicated charging cable, which prevents sending or receiving of data while charging, from a trusted supplier.

Although not every public USB port is a threat, it is better to avoid it than something unwanted happens, as quoted by CNBC International, Tuesday, April 11.