Good Lifestyle

Outside your trips, we tend to manage our low batteries With constant texts, telephone calls and use of applications - and unless you remember taking a mobile charger, you are unlucky if your phone dies. Some airports and travel centers offer a solution in the form of free charging stations, which help you conveniently set up. But according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), you must avoid these apparent equipment at all costs. Read more to find out why the agency warns that you should never use free phone charging stations.

Read this then: If you receive a call from these numbers, "do not believe your calling identifier," said the FBI in a new warning .

On April 6, the FBI Field Office of Denver tweeted on public accusation, warning that your phone could be a Target for criminals .

"Avoid using free charging stations at airports, hotels or shopping centers," said the tweet. "The bad players have found ways to use public USB ports to introduce malware and monitor software on devices. Transport your own USB charger and cord and use an electrical outlet."

In a declaration to the hill, the FBI Denver office confirmed that Nothing is invited The tweet, which was published only as a public service ad (PSA).

Better life contacted Denver's office for more information, but has not yet heard.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) also warns against charge stations and even has an official name for the introduction of malware: "Juice Jacking".

"If your battery is based, be aware that the juice of your electronic device in free USB port charging stations, such as those found near the airport doors, in hotels and other convivial locations, could have unhappy consequences ", a page on the page on the FCC website can be read. "You could become a victim of ' Juice JACING , "A new cyber-voltage tactic".

According to the FCC, once the malware has been introduced on your phone, it can then "lock a device or personal data and expert passwords directly to the aggressor".

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Sometimes the crooks will leave their own cables in charging stations - repercussions on those who may have forgotten their own cable at home. The FCC also points to a 2019 New York Times Article, which said that criminals also distribute their USB cables " as promotional gifts . ""

"You can easily mark these things so that you can make it look like any other cable," Liviu Arsène , an expert in cybersecurity from the Romanian company of cybersecurity and Bitdefender antivirus software, told the newspaper. "When people see it, they don't really think or expect it to be malicious in any way."

To avoid becoming a target, the FCC and the FBI recommend bringing your own charger to connect to a standard socket - and the FCC also suggests bringing your car charger if you need it. If you really want to make an additional effort, consider investing in a "load cable only" of a reliable supplier. According to the FCC, these cables prevent data from being sent or received while your phone loads.

Another option is to transport your own portable charger or external battery, avoiding using an outlet at all.

Other online security advice is published on the FBI website, advising everyone " Be careful when connected . "" AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

On its website, the FBI describes a whole multitude of best practices and warnings to protect you and your devices safe from crooks. In addition to avoiding free charging stations, the agency also recommends being aware of free WiFi networks.

"Be careful when you connect to a public Wi-Fi network and do not make any sensitive transaction, including purchases, during a public network," said the page.

In terms of systems and data, the FBI advises to keep your software up to date and install antivirus software. Your passwords must also be "solid and unique". If you use the same for several sites, this endangers you more if an account is compromised.