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Where is the most dangerous place to charge your phone? The answer surprised many people

# **Where is the most dangerous place to charge your phone? The answer surprised many people** **When the battery is low, the need to charge the battery becomes urgent. However, choosing the wrong place to charge your battery can get you into trouble, and even have unintended consequences.** James Goepel, professor of cybersecurity at Drexel University and CEO of Fathom Cyber said that charging stations in public places seem to be a very convenient solution, but in fact have high risks. “*Charging stations or USB devices in public places can be easily modified by crooks to get into your phone, including installing malware. This is where you should never be. charge my phone*” – Mr. Goepel said. ## **AIRPORT** Airports are equipped with many charging stations to serve customers, but trusting unknown devices can put you in danger. Jason Glassberg, executive director of Casaba Security said: “*Often, the places where people are in a hurry, or don’t think about the security of their devices, are the places that the bad guys take advantage of. set up these types of attacks*”. As a precaution, you should bring your own plug and charging cable. ## **Train station** According to Jack Vonder Heide, president of Technology Briefing Centers Inc, crooks often tend to modify USB charging ports to infiltrate and extract data from users’ phones. this charging port. For example, they can set up free charging stations at bus stops or train stations. When people plug their phones into a USB charging port, their sensitive data is instantly copied. Therefore, if you need to charge your phone in public, it is best to plug the USB cord into a 110volt adapter, or invest in a protective device that prevents data from being extracted from the phone. ## **HOTEL** Do you think a hotel is a place where privacy can be guaranteed? In addition to concerns about hidden cameras, experts also warn about the risk of using USB charging ports at hotels. According to Mr. Glassberg, crooks can “set up a situation that allows them to obtain data or install malware on your device, without your knowledge”. ## **RENTAL CAR** Nowadays, rental cars can be equipped with a USB charging port, which is very convenient. However, Stacey Clements, a small business cybersecurity consultant, recommends using a plug-in adapter and investing in a portable charger. ## **TOURISM LOCATION** When you’re traveling and your phone runs out of battery, you may want to use the public charging stations available at many tourist attractions. However, that poses the risk of your device being compromised, crooks can even perform some tricks to turn on your camera or microphone remotely. ## **SHOPPING CENTERS** You can also get in trouble if you use public charging stations in shopping malls. “*The USB charger can connect to your phone and extract contact lists, emails, text messages, voicemails, photos and videos*” – Reege’s Tech Reviews expert Rich Smith. “*Or they can also copy passwords, banking data, personal contacts and other data stored on the phone. USB hubs at public charging points can even transfer programs, such as malware to your phone*” – Mr. Smith said. ## **LIBRARY** The library may seem like a safe space, but you should still avoid plugging your mobile device into any USB port that is out of your control. Clay Miller, chief technology officer of SyncDog, said: “*The use of charging stations in libraries can be safe, but there is also the risk of data extraction. There is currently no method to identify charging stations. public places have been compromised in some way, so it’s a good idea to keep safety in mind so you don’t regret it later*”. ## **CAFÉ** J. Eduardo Campos, a former Microsoft executive and cybersecurity expert, said that cybercriminals are installing hidden readers and downloaders at USB charging stations in public places. . So when you charge your phone while sipping a drink in a coffee shop, you could be paving the way for identity theft. “*Worse, they can give your information to an unknown party, and your phone can be infected with malware”*, said Mr. Campos, “*The crooks just need to monitor the behavior. en using your phone and waiting to collect financial data, sensitive information, or use your data plan to make fake transactions”*.



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