Why do they advise against using public charging stations for cell phones?

The FBI recommends to American citizens, and to the world population in general, do not use free mobile device charging stations in public places such as airports, hotels and shopping malls.

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Denver (Colorado) alerted via Twitter of the technique used by hackers to introduce malicious programs (‘malware’) and surveillance to electronic devices through public USB ports.

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“Avoid using free charging stations at airports, hotels, or shopping malls. Cybercriminals have figured out how to use public USB ports to introduce malware and surveillance software onto devices. Bring your own charger and USB cable and use a power outlet instead” wrote the FBI.

The organism is not the only one that warns of this danger. So does the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) US on its website, pointing out that hackers can load ‘malware’ into USB ports to “maliciously” access devices, a practice the agency calls ‘juice jacking’.

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In this way, cybercriminals can acquire personal data and passwords, for personal use or to sell to third parties.

The FCC recommends carrying the USB cable itself, through which there is no such danger.

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EFE