Public charging stations and general WiFi networks used outdoors can pose significant security risks for mobile devices. Spyware can be unknowingly installed on phones and mobile devices, jeopardizing personal information.
Cybersecurity Expert Asst. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Şenol, also drawing attention to what needs to be done to protect mobile devices from spyware, said, “We should use our own charger or power bank. As much as possible, we should make an effort to use our own GSM internet or our home internet service instead of connecting to WiFi networks in places like cafes.”
Asst. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Şenol, Head of Üsküdar Üniversitesi Cybersecurity Master's Program, evaluated the security risks that public charging stations and general WiFi networks used outdoors pose to mobile devices.
Malicious software can be installed on your devices
Asst. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Şenol stated that charging devices used outdoors can install malicious software on mobile devices, saying, “These devices continue to charge your device to avoid suspicion, but they perform other operations in the background. This installed malicious software can send documents from your device to an address, allow someone to control your device remotely, listen to your communications, and record and send your entered passwords to the hacker.”
How is spyware installed on phones via charging stations or WiFi networks?
Asst. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Şenol noted that one of the most effective known methods is for the charging device to identify itself as a USB keyboard, explaining, “Devices generally do not ask for user confirmation when a keyboard is plugged in; they recognize the keyboard immediately. As is known, the keyboard is one of the most important input devices used to enter commands into a device. After the device identifies itself as a keyboard, it starts running commands to install malicious software as if keys were being pressed from a keyboard. It installs the malicious software it needs on your mobile device using the person’s own GSM network internet. While doing this, it uses command-line options that suppress user interaction, meaning it performs the action in the background without requiring approval from the mobile phone user. Of course, this is done so that the user is unaware of what is happening.”
What can happen when connecting to WiFi services in public areas?
Asst. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Şenol, also drawing attention to WiFi usage in public areas, said, “When connecting to WiFi services in public areas like cafes, a hacker’s network adapter can present itself as a WiFi access point and, through a man-in-the-middle attack, listen to all your device’s traffic and seize critical information such as passwords.”
Bank account can be emptied!
Asst. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Şenol, also drawing attention to the security risks that can be encountered when using mobile banking applications on a device with spyware installed, said, “There is a risk of money in the victim’s bank account being sent to other accounts by seizing the internet banking login password and sending it to the hacker, and also by the malicious software installed on the victim’s smartphone sending the SMS, which is a second security mechanism, to the hacker. In other words, your account can be emptied.”
Use your own Power Bank!
Asst. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Şenol, also explaining the best methods for safely charging phones and connecting to the internet outdoors, warned, “It is recommended to use your own charger, carry your own power bank, or borrow one from someone you know. Of course, it’s not to say that all charging devices in public access areas contain malicious hardware/software; perhaps more than 90% do not, but it is important to be aware of the risk taken.”
How can we tell if our phone has spyware?
Asst. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Şenol, also pointing to signs indicating spyware on a phone, said, “A sudden drop in the performance of your smartphone/device and it starting to respond slower than normal. Your battery draining significantly faster than usual. Increased data usage inconsistent with your internet usage (as a result of malicious software sending information externally or downloading additional malicious software from outside). Seeing applications and interfaces you did not install. Your device overheating even when not actively in use or charging at that moment. The device randomly shutting down and restarting. The device taking longer than usual to shut down. Hearing some strange beeping sounds in the background during phone calls.”
What precautions should we take to protect phones from spyware?
Asst. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Şenol, also drawing attention to what needs to be done to protect against spyware, concluded his words as follows:
“We should pay attention to who emails come from, focus on the email address next to the sender’s name, and not open attachments unless we are very sure. Some specially prepared videos, PDF files shared on social media programs, when opened, can install malicious software on your device by exploiting vulnerabilities in your smartphone’s software. In this regard, it is important to be as selective as possible. We should use our own charger or power bank. As much as possible, we should make an effort to use our own GSM internet or our home internet service instead of connecting to WiFi networks in places like cafes. We should download applications we intend to install on our device (such as banking applications) from our device’s official application center (Play Store for Android, App Store for iOS). We should not access pirated websites from our mobile device. We should not jailbreak our mobile phones. We should pay attention to the application permissions we grant to the applications we install.”