Charging your phone at public charging stations or unknown PCs may make it vulnerable to possible hacking attempts, says a report by Kaspersky Lab experts.
Mobile devices transmit a lot of information when connected to USB charging ports and hackers can use such data to access files saved inside your phone.
Even though public charging stations offer peace of mind to smartphone users and save them from the horror of seeing their phones running out of juice while they are out and about, they bring out several vulnerabilities in your phone that greedy hackers are itching to exploit. As per the Kaspersky report, when smartphones are connected to public charging stations or PCs, they transmit data like ‘device name, device manufacturer, device type, serial number, firmware information, operating system information, file system/file list, electronic chip ID.’ The report adds that this set of information is enough for hackers to target your phone.
Beware clone Wi-Fi networks, they could brick iPhones!
The Kaspersky report bases its findings on a couple of instances where professional hackers were able to exploit phones when they were connected to USB charging ports. In 2013, a hacking campaign named Red October demonstrated how data stored in mobile devices could be stolen when they were connected to a computer. Another hacking group calling itself the Hacking Team was successful in loading malware o a smartphone which was connected to a USB charging station. For the full article click here
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