L’FBI raised an alarm last week to warn users of avoid public USB ports that can infect smartphones and PCs with malware. The USB and Lightning protocol security measures for iPhones do not appear to protect the devices, according to US federal police reports.
The FBI warns: beware of public USB ports, risk of malware
Through the Denver FBI Twitter account (quoted by CNBC), he explained that public charging stations in hotels, airports and shopping malls they can make it easier for hackers to spread malware and spy software on devices. The FBI has advised users to bring your own charger and USB cable with you. This way, users can use a electric socket instead of a public USB port to charge your own devices.
Apple has built-in a USB security feature on its iPhones and Macs that blocks data transfer from the Lightning port if the device has not been unlocked for over an hour. But that’s not enough to protect your device from a possible malware infection if you’re actively using it and connecting it to a public port.
If a hacker can transfer malware to a computer, tablet or smartphone via a public USB port, they can access confidential information on the devicesteal usernames and passwords, intercept emails, withdraw money from online accounts and much more.
The only way to avoid these risks is use your own USB cable to recharge their devices in public spaces, thus preventing this type of attack.
Pay attention to cyber security
On its website, the FBI also has a similar warning regarding the use of free charging stations. Also, the FBI recommends do not use public Wi-Fi for sensitive transactions, not to open suspicious documents, not to use the same password for all accounts and not to click on unwanted links in text messages and e-mails.
All security operations that we invite you to respect: a pinch of extra attention makes the difference in IT security.