Mobile charging stations have cropped up across urban centers and in high-traffic locations in recent years, a convenient resource for reviving dying phone batteries, but the FBI is issuing a new warning against using the hubs.
The agency cited "bad actors" looking to prey on unsuspecting targets by compromising USB ports on the charging hubs to infect plugged-in devices with malware and monitoring software.
"Carry your own charger and USB cord and use an electrical outlet instead," the FBI said in a tweet.
The agency's warning isn't the first issued to the general public about the potential hazards of public charging stations. In 2021, the FCC issued a "juice jacking" warning as one of the newest cyber-theft tactics.
"Cybersecurity experts have warned that criminals can load malware onto public USB charging stations to maliciously access electronic devices while they are being charged. Malware installed through a dirty USB port can lock a device or export personal data and passwords directly to the perpetrator," the FCC said at the time.
GenZ workers get a bad rep when it comes to hiring - Why?Huy Nguyen, Chief Education and Career Development Advisor for Intelligent.com joins Cheddar to discuss
Can a layoff lead to your next big thing? Issie Lapowsky, contributor for Inc. Magazine and Alphonzo Terrell, co-founder and CEO of Spill join us to discuss.
Managing Editor at Tom's Guide, Kate Kozuch, joins Cheddar to explain how Apple's AirPods now work as hearing aids and what she thinks of Apple Intelligence.
A Polish radio station said Monday that it has ended an “experiment” that involved using AI-generated “presenters” instead of real journalists after the mo