Mobile charging stations have cropped up across urban centers and in high-traffic locations in recent years, a convenient resource for reviving dying phone batteries, but the FBI is issuing a new warning against using the hubs.
The agency cited "bad actors" looking to prey on unsuspecting targets by compromising USB ports on the charging hubs to infect plugged-in devices with malware and monitoring software.
"Carry your own charger and USB cord and use an electrical outlet instead," the FBI said in a tweet.
The agency's warning isn't the first issued to the general public about the potential hazards of public charging stations. In 2021, the FCC issued a "juice jacking" warning as one of the newest cyber-theft tactics.
"Cybersecurity experts have warned that criminals can load malware onto public USB charging stations to maliciously access electronic devices while they are being charged. Malware installed through a dirty USB port can lock a device or export personal data and passwords directly to the perpetrator," the FCC said at the time.
Small-scale solar panels about the size of a door are poised to be plugged into more U.S. homes and apartments as homeowners and renters who want to harness the sun’s energy look for cheaper alternatives to rooftop installations.
Rebecca Bellan, Senior Reporter at TechCrunch, dives into ChatGPT’s GPT‑5 release—what’s new, what’s controversial, and why this model could change the game.
Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan says he’s “always operated within the highest legal and ethical standards” after coming under pressure following President Donald Trump’s call for him to resign.
A new federal rule would make it easier for companies to use drones over longer distances out of sight of the operator without having to go through a cumbersome waiver process.
Nintendo, the Japanese video game maker behind the Super Mario and Pokemon franchises, is reporting an 18.6% surge in net profit for the first fiscal quarter
