Q&A of the Day – Are public charging stations safe for mobile devices?
Each day I’ll feature a listener question that’s been submitted by one of these methods.
Email: brianmudd@iheartmedia.com
Twitter: @brianmuddradio
Facebook: Brian Mudd https://www.facebook.com/brian.mudd1
Today’s entry...
Hello Brian, Just heard your interview with the gentleman discussing how charging cables could be hacked. I have a question that you didn’t ask, nor did the gentleman cover. Could the free charge IG stations at places like hospitals, waiting rooms and so on be corrupted as well by this new threat? This might be something many other listeners would like to know.
By the way love your show and how you bring issues to the attention of many and your fact checking and investigation!
Bottom Line: This question derives from a conversation I recently had with cyber security expert Shawn Tuma. He explained that physical charge cables can be loaded with malware and that it’s a growing tactic being used by hackers looking to gain access to our mobile devices. For that reason, you never want to buy a used charge cable for any of your mobile devices, and you want to be especially careful if you borrow or use someone else’s. Now for your question about public charging stations...
The answer is yes, public charging stations can be compromised and could be a security risk for your mobile devices. That doesn’t mean they can’t be safely used. For any malware to be effective, it needs to interact with your mobile device. If your device is powered off – it isn’t able to do so. If you want to be especially careful when using public charging stations – power your devices off while charging them. Depending on your device this can work one of two ways. Some devices will charge while powered off. Others, like Apple devices, require an extra step. There’s a misconception that some devices, including iPhones and iPads can’t charge while they’re powered off – that's not true but here’s what you have to do.
- Plug in the charger
- Quickly go to your “Settings” app
- Under “General” scroll to the bottom and use the “Shut Down” option
If you use that method your device can charge safely – even if a charger or charging station is compromised. It also has the added benefit of charging your device much quicker than charging while it’s on.