There's so much I DON'T know about computer spams, viruses, etc. Every time I relax, I hear about some new way that all your personal information can be stolen through cellphones, computers, and other devices.
Well... I just heard on the news that it's sometimes dangerous to use the usb charging stations at the airport, airplane or public charging areas because plugging your cellphone or other device into those usb ports can open you up to hackers. I got the following from the Tech Republic website.
So you have to look for a regular power outlet and not use the usb charging areas.
I looked online and found this usb data blocker-charge only thingy. There are all kinds on Amazon.
Art tells me I don't have to freak out until we figure out what kinds of adapters, chargers, and whatnots we already have.
I know I've used those charging stations at airports before. Aha! I just remembered something! A couple of years ago, we were traveling internationally and I used one of those charging stations to charge Art's Fire and my iPad. All the data died on his Fire and he lost everything. We couldn't figure out why that happened, but he had to reload what he could. The maps he'd downloaded onto the Fire for the trip were all gone.
Hmmmmm....
I shall have to ask my techie son-in-law what we should do.
POSTSCRIPT:
OK, I just got an answer from him.
He says if I just use my power charger that I already have, it's good enough. He also says most airplanes already have an outlet where I can plug this in.
Whoopie!
Well... I just heard on the news that it's sometimes dangerous to use the usb charging stations at the airport, airplane or public charging areas because plugging your cellphone or other device into those usb ports can open you up to hackers. I got the following from the Tech Republic website.
"To best protect yourself, use your own USB cable and your own USB power adapter, and plug them directly into the wall power outlet. If you cannot find a wall outlet, use a trusted portable battery pack instead."
I looked online and found this usb data blocker-charge only thingy. There are all kinds on Amazon.
Art tells me I don't have to freak out until we figure out what kinds of adapters, chargers, and whatnots we already have.
I know I've used those charging stations at airports before. Aha! I just remembered something! A couple of years ago, we were traveling internationally and I used one of those charging stations to charge Art's Fire and my iPad. All the data died on his Fire and he lost everything. We couldn't figure out why that happened, but he had to reload what he could. The maps he'd downloaded onto the Fire for the trip were all gone.
Hmmmmm....
I shall have to ask my techie son-in-law what we should do.
POSTSCRIPT:
He says if I just use my power charger that I already have, it's good enough. He also says most airplanes already have an outlet where I can plug this in.
Whoopie!
I don't spend much time in airports these days, but I'll remember this post and if I must use a charger, I'll use my own! Thanks, Kay. :-)
ReplyDeleteIt is SO hard to keep up with all the ways of the unscrupulous!
ReplyDeleteMahalo Kay!
ReplyDeletefirst I've heard of this one
ReplyDeleteI had heard that and your son in law has the perfect answer. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteShould be OK if all you are getting is electricity.
ReplyDeletethanks.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kay.
ReplyDeleteI have only used airport charging station once. Doubt I will be flying anymore so glad not to have to worry.
ReplyDeletesounds like the best way to go is to have/use your own stuff!
ReplyDeleteSo you're telling me what son-in-laws are good for!
ReplyDeleteAlso monitor your checking/saving acc't. I was hacked but it wasn't cuz someone ripped off my debit card directly. What happens is that whenever we charge or debit at a store, they use a 3rd party to process the info and then they handle all of it. Well, these 3rd party processors - who are never mentioned and there are lots of them - can get hacked! So there is no way for the bank to find out which company got hacked. It could be Paypal, Wal-Mart, the supermarket etc. What the thieves do is first buy something small (mines was $5 in some Arkansas), then they transmit the card #s to accomplices and then buy bigger amounts - in my case it was $95 in Arizona. There are rings of these folks and what CAN stop them is the CHIP. Yes, that chip that takes forever to process. The fraud gal at the bank told me they are (so far) impossible to hack and if the retailer does NOT use the chip if it's there, the retailer is liable for the fraudulent charges. To upgrade to those chip readers are pricey that's why small businesses haven't done so yet, just the swipe card. It's been 6 months and still have not gotten my $$ back. Luckily my bank has those fraud alerts and mines occurred at 10 pm at night, I got a robo call. Thought it was a scam but nope it was real.
ReplyDeleteSo it's best to monitor your accounts and check if your bank has those automatic fraud alerts. BB
P.S. she told me that certain websites have extremely good security, Amazon is one of them, so they are more difficult to hack. While PayPal is not as strong. The $95 purchase was at a WalMart which now requires that if you have a Chip card, they have to use the CHIP for the purchase. They do not allow swipes of Chips which are especially encrypted. Hackers cannot (so far) duplicate a chip. BB
DeleteGood to know! It drives my kids nuts because my phone is either off, out of power, or out of earshot so I don't answer. They don't understand how phones were stuck to our homes and when we are out and about, we don't need to get a phone call.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of us know have portable chargers that we carry when leaving home for any length of time.
ReplyDeleteSeems like the more fancy our technology gets, the more sophisticated the scammers and infecters are.
Jeez, you really take this stuff seriously. Better safe than sorry, I guess.
ReplyDeleteThat's why my purse is so heavy. I carry a charged portable charger and a 10 foot long charging cord you plug into the wall. That 10 footer comes in handy! I have a couple at home too.
ReplyDeleteI need to get one of those charging batteries too! 😃
DeleteScary times. Such little respect for one another...
ReplyDelete