Both my family and Mr. Rosie’s families live in other states and so we fly a lot. As such, I used to use free airport Wifi. A year ago (maybe more, what is time?), I read that you shouldn’t use the free airport wifi because hackers can get your information. In a world full of digital hackers and identity-stealers, it made a lot of sense to me. Since then, I’ve done my best to use cellular data or my phone’s hotspot. Turns out that free wifi is not the only thing to worry about. The TSA has just released a warning to all air travelers that not only is open airport wifi unsafe, but plugging your phone directly into one of those USB charging stations also puts you at risk.
The Transportation Security Administration is best known for its security checkpoints at the airport, but the agency has recently issued a warning to passengers to help keep passengers safe after they clear the security checkpoint.
In a recent post on social media, the TSA issued a pretty major warning to all airport travelers about how their data and information could be at risk in some seemingly harmless ways.
“In this technology age, cybersecurity has never been more important. You’ve likely heard about things like email scams and social media scams (tip: don’t accept that friend request from your buddy’s ‘new’ profile), but today we want to share our two best tips for staying cyber safe at airports while you’re traveling,” the TSA wrote in a recent Facebook post.
The TSA went on to warn all airport travelers not to use the USB charging ports that are often in airport terminals.
“Hackers can install malware at USB ports (we’ve been told that’s called ‘juice/port jacking’). So, when you’re at an airport do not plug your phone directly into a USB port. Bring your TSA-compliant power brick or battery pack and plug in there,” the TSA wrote in its Facebook post.
The TSA also warned against using the airport’s public WiFi, especially when purchasing items or entering sensitive information.
“Don’t use free public WiFi, especially if you’re planning to make any online purchases. Do not ever enter any sensitive info while using unsecure WiFi,” the TSA’s post continued.
As summer approaches and travel increases, it’s important for all airport travelers to keep these warnings in mind as they spend time in the airport.
This is why we can’t have nice things! Until I finally upgraded my five-year-old phone a few months ago, it would run out of battery quickly. It’s been a while since I’ve used the free airport charging station, though, because I have a portable power pack and most airplanes have chargers now. I tried searching to see if the charging ports on airplanes were also dangerous, but couldn’t find any conclusive evidence either way.
If you’re worried that your phone has been hacked or has malware, this article has a list of warning signs to look out for and ways to fix it. I wish that we lived in a world where we could all just charge our phones and access free wifi without having to worry. I guess “knowledge is power” is the best way to prevent these things from happening. It would also be nice if federal law enforcement agencies could catch and prosecute hackers.
Photos credit: Ketut Subiyanto, Alex P, Gustavo Fring and Kelly on Pexels
