Key Points
- The Transportation Security Administration is advising travelers of two important cybersecurity threats while navigating airports ahead of a busy summer travel season.
- The TSA discourages charging personal devices through USB ports.
- The organization also discourages sharing personal information while connected to public WiFi.
In a world where connecting with anyone around the world is as easy as the click of a button, new guidance suggests perhaps we should be a bit more cautious.
A social media post from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is warning against two cybersecurity threats while traveling.
“In this technology age, cybersecurity has never been more important,” the post reads. “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.”
In order to stay cyber safe while traveling, the TSA is advising:
Tip #1: Do not charge devices in public USB ports.
“Hackers can install malware at USB ports (we’ve been told that’s called “juice/port jacking”),” the warning post read. “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.
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Tip #2: Do not submit data using public WiFi.
“Don’t use free public WiFi, especially if you’re planning to make any online purchases,” the post reads. “Do not ever enter any sensitive info while using unsecure WiFi.”
Travelers hoping to avoid costly cyber security mistakes can use their wall chargers or portable battery packs to charge devices, and utilize their phone’s data—or connect surely to the airport’s official wireless internet network—instead of public WiFi.
