When you look around the boarding area of any airport, you will see passengers sliding their phones and charging their devices before boarding the plane. However, US federal authorities urge travelers to be vigilant about two things.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) earlier this year issued a warning on Facebook, urging passengers to be cautious of two seemingly free digital services at airports: USB charging stations and public Wi-Fi, to prevent personal data from being stolen. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) had also issued a similar warning before this.
TSA pointed out that hackers can install malicious software in public USB ports. This act of stealing data through charging ports is called “Juice Jacking.” Hackers can exploit this vulnerability to steal personal information, passwords, or payment data from mobile phones while they are charging.
Authorities recommend that passengers carry power banks that comply with TSA regulations or use alternating current (AC) outlets. If you must use a public USB port, the FCC suggests considering carrying a cable solely for charging to prevent data transfer from the source.
TSA warns passengers, especially when conducting sensitive operations such as online shopping, online banking transactions, or entering passwords, to avoid using free public Wi-Fi. Eric Plam, a senior executive at mobile hotspot company SIMO, explained to USA Today that public networks lack encryption, making them vulnerable to “Man-in-the-Middle attacks” or fake hotspots set up by hackers.
Plam suggests that travelers use Virtual Private Networks (VPN) as much as possible, which is a low-cost investment that adds an extra layer of security between the computer and servers. Using a password manager tool can also effectively encrypt and protect passwords.
In conclusion, convenience should always yield to security. Travelers should not risk exposing personal data for temporary convenience. Authorities also remind travelers to ensure that all devices’ operating systems and applications are updated to the latest versions before traveling to patch known security vulnerabilities.