Public charging station can be dangerous: In today’s era, smartphones and laptops have become an important part of our lives. Be it travel, work, or entertainment, these devices are necessary for everything. But the biggest problem with these gadgets is the battery. When the battery gets discharged during travel, people often feel relieved that charging ports are present at railway stations, bus stands, airports, or cafes. Seeing the charging cables already installed there, people connect the phone without thinking. But this habit can become a cause of a big cyber threat to you.
Not only the charging port, the cable can also be dangerous
Till now, you must have heard many times that hackers can easily steal your phone’s data by using public Wi-Fi. But perhaps you do not know that public charging cables can also be equally dangerous. Yes, these cables look absolutely normal, but they have a powerful chip hidden in them that steals data.
The truth about OMG cables
According to tech experts, the cables installed at railway stations or airports are often OMG cables. A special micro-chip is installed in these cables, which can not only charge but also transfer data. From the outside, it looks like any real charging cable and your phone gets charged easily. But the real game starts the moment your phone is connected to these cables.
How is a phone hacked?
Popular tech YouTuber Rajeev Makhani recently told in a video that as soon as you connect such a public cable to your phone or laptop, hackers get complete control over your device. A special remote Wi-Fi signal is generated through the cable, through which hackers can access your phone from anywhere in the world.
In this process, neither any warning is seen on your phone nor any kind of alert. Your phone keeps charging normally, but your personal data is being stolen in the background.
Which details can be stolen?
Hackers can not only access your phone’s gallery and contact list in this way but can also get more sensitive information. These include-
Banking details
Passwords and login IDs
OTPs and emails
Private photos and videos
This information can be used in cases like fraud, identity theft, and blackmail.
The right way to avoid public charging
The question is how to avoid this cyber threat? Cybersecurity experts say that the safest way is to always keep your charging cable and adapter with you. Never charge your phone with an unknown cable installed in a public place. Even if you want to use a charging port, charge the device only by connecting your charger.
Apart from this, you should also avoid using a charging cable given by someone else. Remember, the charging cable not only transfers power but is also a means of data transfer. This is the reason why using the wrong cable can directly trap you in the trap of hackers.
CERT-In had warned
India’s cyber security agency CERT-In had also issued an advisory last year warning about this scam. The agency had said that through public charging ports, such apps can be installed in your phone, which silently steal your data.
CERT-In advises that you always use an electric wall to charge the device. Keep the phone locked while charging and disable such settings so that no other device can connect to your phone. If possible, it is safer to charge the device by turning it off.