Latest news with #publicWiFi
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Travel + Leisure
14 hours ago
- Travel + Leisure
TSA Warning Urges Travelers to Stop Making These 2 Common Tech Mistakes at Airports
After the chaos of check-in lines and security checkpoints, there's a small ritual that feels almost sacred: finding a seat near your gate, plugging in your phone, and catching your breath with a scroll through emails or TikTok. But according to the TSA, these small comforts could come at a cost. In a March 2025 Facebook post, the agency's IT team warned travelers that using public USB charging ports and logging onto public Wi-Fi could leave personal data vulnerable to hackers. One of the most common mistakes travelers make is plugging phones into an unprotected USB charging port at the airport, which hackers can corrupt with malware. Once you're plugged in, hackers can use the USB connection to export personal data through a tactic known as "juice jacking" or "port jacking." To protect yourself, you can purchase a USB data blocker, which only allows for your device to be charged—without transferring data. Alternatively, you could simply plug your phone into a wall charger rather than a USB port. Another option is to charge your devices using a TSA-compliant battery pack (which should always go in your carry-on bag anyway, and never your checked bag). TSA also cautions against the use of public Wi-Fi, which includes the free airport Wi-Fi. These unsecured networks can be dangerous if you plan to make online purchases or need to enter sensitive information, such as social security numbers and credit card details. In addition to capitalizing on unsecured networks, hackers have been known to use a tactic called the 'man-in-the-middle" attack, where they set up a Wi-Fi hotspot that looks like a free public WiFi network. When you connect, the hacker can intercept all your information. The safest thing to do is to rely on your phone's data while at the airport—or in any public place. If that isn't an option, you should confirm that you are connecting to the real, official airport Wi-Fi. For an added layer of protection, consider using a virtual private network (aka a VPN), which can further encrypt your data and mask your IP address (a unique identifying number that's assigned to every device connected to the internet). As tempting as it is to relax and recharge at the gate, it's worth taking a few simple precautions to protect your data. Stick to wall outlets or your own battery pack for charging, avoid public WiFi when possible, and use a VPN if you must connect. A little awareness can go a long way in keeping your personal information safe—all before you board the plane.
Gizmodo
3 days ago
- Gizmodo
Amazon's Choice TP-Link Newest WiFi Travel Router Is Back Down to Its Lowest Price Just in Time for Summer
Use of public Wi-Fi is always a risk. Joining a public network can expose your data to being intercepted by nefarious actors whether you're joining at an airport, a cafe, or a hotel. By using hotspot mode on the TP-Link Wi-Fi 6 AX3000 travel router, you can convert public Wi-Fi into a private, secure network. Any devices like your phone or laptop will be securely connected, reducing the risk for your data and privacy when in public spaces. Right now, the TP-Link Wi-Fi 6 travel router is discounted down by 20%. That brings the price from $100 to just $80, saving you a cool $20. See at Amazon Powerful & Secure Wi-Fi for Remote Work & Travel Don't have Wi-Fi access? You can use USB tethering mode to use your smartphone's cellular data to convert it into a stable Wi-Fi network for all your devices. This is ideal for camping or RV trips as you can set up your laptop or even a smart TV to have internet access when on the road. When at home, the TP-Link router can still be put to good use. It can be used as a Wi-Fi range extender to eliminate Wi-Fi dead zones on your home network throughout your house. The TP-Link Wi-Fi 6 AX3000 travel router is supported as a VPN client or server. So you can keep your network private and secure from anywhere in the world. Supported VPN services include NordVPN, Surfshark, OpenVPN, WireGuard, and more. So any device you have accessing the internet while connected through the travel router will be going through the VPN should you choose to do so. The speeds are fast too. The TP-Link travel router supports dual-band Wi-Fi 6 and can handle speeds of over 2,400 Mbps when using the 5 GHz band or up to 574 Mbps when using the 2.4 GHz band. Traveling with the router is super easy as the thing can fit right in your pocket. It measures across at 3.5 inches by 4.1 inches and is just over an inch thick. It only weights about 5 ounces. You can connect to it over USB-C or USB-A 3.0 along with a 1 Gbps LAN port or 2.5 Gbps WAN/LAN port. It's also got a microSD slot to work as a mobile home media hub. You can connect up to 80 devices at once. That means even with a phones and laptops for everyone in the house as well as smart TVs, Alexa-devices, gaming consoles, and even your doorbell, you'll never have any trouble having them all connected at once. Say goodbye to sketchy public Wi-Fi because, for a limited time, you can get the TP-Link Wi-Fi 6 travel router for the reduced price of just $80. See at Amazon
Forbes
30-05-2025
- Health
- Forbes
TSA Warns iPhone And Android Users—You Need This At Airport
New airport warning for smartphone users There is no subject that's more contentious in cyber security circles than so-called juice jacking. It generates fresh headlines most years, when one government agency or another issues a new alert ahead of the holidays. Stories are written and cyber eyebrows are raised — there are more stories than attacks. But still those stories come. But now a new warning suggests there may be a risk for travelers after all. Juice jacking theoretically strikes when you plug your phone into a public charging cable or socket at an airport or hotel, and instead of it being a dumb charger, it's a computer behind the scenes extracting data from your device. This is very different to dangerously crafted attack cables that include a malicious payload in the cable itself. The latest government warning (and headlines 1,2) come courtesy of TSA. 'When you're at an airport, do not plug your phone directly into a USB port,' it says. 'Bring your TSA-compliant power brick or battery pack and plug in there.' This is because 'hackers can install malware at USB ports (we've been told that's called 'juice/port jacking').' TSA also warns smartphone users 'don't use free public WiFi, especially if you're planning to make any online purchases. Do not ever enter any sensitive info while using unsecure WiFi.' This public Wi-Fi hijacking threat is almost as contentious as juice-jacking amongst cyber experts. TL;DR, while it comprises your location, any encrypted data flowing to or from your device from websites or apps should be safe. Your bigger risk is downloading an app from the malicious access point's splash page, filling in online forms, or being redirected to fraudulent login pages for Microsoft, Google or other accounts. The usual advice applies — use passkeys, don't log in to linked or popup windows but use usual channels, and don't give away personal information. You should also be wary of which Wi-Fi hotspots you connect to — are they the real service from the hotel or airport or mall you're in, or cleverly named fakes. As for juice jacking, there is now a nasty new twist to the existing narrative, which while theoretical for now, could fuel attacks that actually work. A new research paper has introduced 'a novel family of USB-based attacks' called ChoiceJacking, which the researchers say, 'is the first to bypass existing Juice Jacking mitigations. The Austrian research team "observed that these mitigations assume that an attacker cannot inject input events while establishing a data connection. However, we show that this assumption does not hold in practice. We present a platform-agnostic attack principle and three concrete attack techniques for Android and iOS that allow a malicious charger to autonomously spoof user input to enable its own data connection.' This is more an issue for Android than iOS, but it's not something for most users to worry about. That said, if you think you might be the target for attacks or if you travel to higher risk parts of the world, I would strongly recommend not using public charging points without some form of data shield or public WiFi without a VPN. You should also be wary of unlocking your device when it's plugged into anything you don't own and control. Interestingly, Google and Samsung have both been better defending devices against USB data extraction, albeit this masks itself as an accessory. There are also new updates for both iOS and Android to reboot devices locked for more than 3 days, which also protects against physical cable attacks. On ChoiceJacking, Kaspersky says 'both Apple and Google blocked these attack methods in iOS/iPadOS 18.4, and Android 15," but "unfortunately, on Android, the OS version alone doesn't guarantee your smartphone's safety… That's why Android users who have updated to Android 15 are advised to connect their smartphone to a known safe computer via a cable and check whether a password or biometric confirmation is required. If not — avoid public charging stations.'
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
8 Ways To Stay Safe When Using Mobile Banking Apps
Unfortunately, your bank's mobile app can offer hackers access points to your most private and sensitive information — on your device, during data transfer and at your bank's server. Even if your mobile phone is secure, if you are on a public Wi-Fi network or your money app has weak security, your financial information could fall victim to fraud when online banking. Read Next: Learn More: Banks have made great advances in financial cybersecurity and limiting mobile device security risks, but there are still plenty of ways you can chip in to keep your most critical personal data as safe as possible when banking online. Here are eight tips to help protect your banking information. The FTC advises that you'll give hackers a harder time if you lock your phone, back up your data and keep your software up to date on both your devices and apps. This applies to mobile banking and all other mobile activities such as sending emails or text messages. Start by choosing solid security measures such as strong passwords that you don't recycle across platforms, guard your personal information closely and make sure you download the genuine bank app and not a fake banking app looking to steal your account numbers. For You: When you download something from Google Play or the Apple App Store in order to help you with your daily banking needs, remember that banking apps are often more advanced than their parent organizations' underlying operational systems. You should keep in mind that your app is only as secure as your network. So, don't open your banking app when you're on public Wi-Fi, and make sure you're on a password-protected network or using your own cell phone data. If your banking app doesn't enable multi-factor authentication by default, switch it on manually. A verification email or message is an extra step, but one that's more than justified considering the added layer of protection that it provides. Make sure to also use 2FA for your budgeting app or anywhere else your bank account might be linked. No verification credential is un-hackable, and some security professionals disagree about the safety and privacy of biometrics. However, according to Norton, the industry consensus is that fingerprint recognition and face ID are harder to crack than alphanumeric passwords. Also, you should make note that if you store your passwords on the cloud, they are therefore more vulnerable than biometric data, which lives on the device itself. If you get an email, text, phone call or message purporting to be from your bank that asks you to take any action — no matter how seemingly small or immediate — assume it's a scam and do nothing. Don't respond to a text, submit a code, verify any information, answer any questions, click on any links or open any messages in case it's a bank phishing scam. There are countless variations, for instance, where identity thieves hijack the actual bank's fraud department phone number and use it to send a text asking if you just made a purchase. When you reply 'no,' you immediately get a call from the bank's legitimate phone number asking you to verify your identity by revealing your most important information. If you receive a request claiming to be from your bank requesting any action, suspend communication and call the number on your statement or bank card to verify the message's authenticity and/or report the scam. Many banks remind their customers that some of the most important steps happen after you finish a session. Apps are vulnerable when they're open in the background, whether you're using them or not. So be sure to log out before closing your banking app and delete any messages or codes your bank texted you during your session. A little bit of intellectual upkeep to keep your financial literacy frosty can help you live a safer online life in banking and beyond. Many who use p2p payment services such as Zelle through their bank of choice may not know these platforms are susceptible to scams. Consider adding updates about online security and cyber threats to your news app of choice so you'll at least see the headline when the inevitable next new threat emerges. Just as with biometrics, the safety of cloud-based password managers is a cause of controversy. But Forbes reflects the industry consensus that — while nothing is bulletproof — password managers can be a reliable and convenient way to enhance mobile security and data management. Before you jump in, however, there are many pros and cons to mull over. Considerations include password managers concentrating your most critical data in one place, the risk of losing the all-important master password and potential difficulties with backup. As always, proceed with caution. Caitlyn Moorhead contributed to the reporting for this article. More From GOBankingRates 5 Luxury Cars That Will Have Massive Price Drops in Spring 2025 4 Things You Should Do if You Want To Retire Early How Far $750K Plus Social Security Goes in Retirement in Every US Region 12 SUVs With the Most Reliable Engines This article originally appeared on 8 Ways To Stay Safe When Using Mobile Banking Apps Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
