The FBI recommends against using free mobile charging stations

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

“Avoid using free charging stations at airports, hotels, or shopping malls. Cybercriminals 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 an outlet instead,” he wrote.

The FBI is not the only one warning of this danger; so does the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on its website, noting that hackers can load ‘malware’ into USB ports to ‘maliciously’ access devices, a practice the agency calls ‘juice jacking’.