A public USB port in an airport may look like a lucky find when your phone is running low. However, an IBM Security expert said it may be a trap, and it is only one of several ways a quick charge can put your data at risk.
Advertisement
In May 2025, the FBI and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) warned people against plugging personal devices into airport USB ports. U.S. and Australian authorities had issued similar warnings in 2023.
Travelers sit in an airport gate area and look at their phones. | Source: Pexels
As the peak holiday season began, travelers were once again urged to stay alert to cyber threats, especially "juice jacking," a form of cybercrime involving USB ports.
Criminals can modify these connections to install malware on a phone or download its data without the owner's knowledge. Caleb Barlow, vice president of X-Force Threat Intelligence at IBM Security, offered a blunt comparison, stating:
"Plugging into a public USB port is kind of like finding a toothbrush on the side of the road and deciding to stick it in your mouth. You have no idea where that thing has been. And remember that that USB port can pass data."
Advertisement
Several phones charge on a round table around a column with built-in outlets and USB ports. | Source: Pexels
Travelers Are Targets
Some people may consider these precautions excessive, but Barlow said the concerns are well founded. Research from IBM Security showed that a growing number of nation-state hackers were setting their sights on travelers.
The 2019 IBM X-Force Threat Intelligence Index ranked transportation as the second-most attacked industry, up from tenth in 2017. Since January 2018, publicly reported breaches had leaked or compromised 566 million records from the travel and transportation industry.
A man sits in an airport gate area and uses his phone while it charges from a port beside his seat. | Source: Pexels
Advertisement
Another Trap – The Cord Left Behind
Charging stations aren't the only risk. Barlow also advised travelers to avoid random tech accessories that other people leave behind. "My favorite of which is a simple Apple charging cord," the vice president revealed.
He further explained that tampering with an airport charging station is difficult, but leaving a cord behind is easy. Many travelers might pick up an unattended Apple charging cord or plug their devices into it.
But the cord can contain a hidden chip that deploys malware, potentially compromising a connected device while it charges.
A laptop and a phone sit on a small round table, with a charger plugged into a wall outlet. | Source: Pexels
Safer Ways to Charge
Advertisement
The easiest solution is to bring your own charging equipment. A regular charger plugged into a wall outlet is much safer than a public USB port, as is a portable power bank.
A personal power bank is particularly useful in airports, on planes, and at train stations, allowing travelers to charge their devices without relying on public USB ports.
A gray power bank with a short braided cable lies on a marble surface. | Source: Pexels
For travelers who still choose to use public USB ports, Barlow recommended a $10 device called a Juice-Jack Defender. "It's a little dongle you can put in front of your charging cord that basically blocks any data from passing down the cord. It only passes the voltage," he said.
Advertisement
