22-07-2025
TSA urges travelers to avoid these airport freebies to stay cyber safe
Remember having to hunt for an electrical outlet at the airport?
Now many boarding areas have USB ports built into their seats, but federal authorities urge travelers to avoid plugging in, at least directly.
'Hackers can install malware at USB ports (we've been told that's called 'juice/port jacking'),' the Transportation Safety Administration posted on Facebook this spring. '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.'
Here's what else travelers should know before their next flight.
Is charging your phone at the airport safe?
It depends on how it's done.
'Using AC power outlets can help you avoid any potential risks, so be sure to pack AC, car chargers, and your own USB cables with you when traveling,' the Federal Communications Commission advises.
Like TSA, the FCC also recommends external batteries, but if a USB port is necessary 'and a prompt appears asking you to select 'share data' or 'trust this computer' or 'charge only,' always select 'charge only.''
Cruising Altitude | No traveler should ever post this on social media
Is it safe to join public Wi-Fi?
TSA suggests avoiding it.
'Don't use free public WiFi, especially if you're planning to make any online purchases,' TSA warned. 'Do not ever enter any sensitive info while using unsecure WiFi.'
'Anytime you're exchanging some sort of password … you want to be cautious of the networks that you're on,' Eric Plam, an executive at SIMO, a mobile hotspot company, told USA TODAY last year. Password manager tools can protect and encrypt passwords.
But Plam also advised using a VPN or virtual private network when possible. 'It's not a very big investment … and adds an extra layer of security from your computer to whatever server you're accessing.'
Contributing: Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY
