BENGALURU: In a concerning trend, cyber criminals are now targeting public mobile phone charging stations to steal users’ sensitive data, cyber security experts warn. The growing threat involves the use of USB charging ports, commonly found in public places such as airports, bus stands, railway stations, cafes and hotels. USB ports are often used for both power and data transfer, creating an opportunity for hackers to exploit.
Even the state police are creating awareness on the USB charger scam, cautioning people against using public phone charging stations.
Dr Harsha, a cyber security expert, said that if public USB charging stations are not configured properly, cyber criminals can misuse the ports to steal data. Since most charging stations use USB ports and the charging cables as a two-way street -- to send the power to device and also transfer data – cyber criminals have more opportunities to steal data. The scam is all about stealing data or leaving malware in devices. If a person’s mobile phone battery is low, he or she does not think of security as he/she just wants to charge the defice. Frauds take this as an advantage, he said.
Cyber criminals try to steal data in two main ways. First, when a device is plugged into a public USB port, a hacker can compromise that port to infect the device. This could lead to the theft of data such as financial information, passwords, banking details and personal files, which can result in identity theft or financial loss. The hacker can use a crawler program to search for sensitive data on the device. Secondly, cyber criminals may use USB ports to install malware or viruses on devices. These malicious programs can clone phone data and transfer it to the hacker’s device, he said.
Hackers may infect USB ports or charging cables in public areas before users connect their devices. Both Android and iOS devices, especially older generation phones, are particularly vulnerable to such attacks, he warned.
Tips to Protect Yourself from USB port scam
Avoid using public charging stations or portable wall chargers
Use an electrical wall outlet for charging
Carry and use only your personal charging cables
Use software security measures to lock your phone, ensuring that it can’t pair with a connected device.
Install antivirus apps to protect your devices from malware. (Installing antivirus software can help alert you to potential attacks on your smart devices, such as phones, laptops & TVs)
Disable Bluetooth by default when you charge
Update USB drivers
Keep your phone or device updated with latest patches
Restrict software installation on your device with strong password
Check whether charging stations have data or network cable connected in the background which are not required
Trust only authorised charging points, not by any third party. Hackers may use fake logo to dupe others