“Any time you’re using a mobile port, you can
be vulnerable to viruses or malware if you’re
sharing it with other people who are plugging
in their devices,” says Lisa Schifferle, ID theft
program manager at the Federal
Trade Commission.
Using a public charging port at an airport is like
“finding a toothbrush on the side of the road and
deciding to stick it in your mouth” Caleb Barlow,
vice president of X-Force Threat Intelligence at
IBM Security, recently told Forbes.
Hackers can modify these ports to install
malevolent software, aka malware, on your
phone. Once installed, it can transfer your
phone’s data to hackers. The hacked USB
ports can also directly suck up your phone’s
information. To avoid the risk, use your USB
cord with your own charging block that can
plug into a standard electrical outlet, or use an
external battery pack.
For daily security, go beyond the four-
digit passcode if possible, says Gary Davis,
chief consumer security evangelist at the
cybersecurity company McAfee. “Passcodes
aren’t as effective as biometrics, like fingerprint
readers or facial recognition software,
because people can do shoulder surfing to
see your passcode and get into your phone” if
they steal it.
SOFTWARE AND NETWORK RISKS
Scammers can target your personal information
using unsecured wireless networks and
software vulnerabilities.
NETWORK RISKS: Be wary of public
Wi-Fi networks.