Is it safe to use a public charging kiosk?

There’s a new convenience popping up at malls, cafes and airports – the public charging kiosk....

Few things are as frustrating as a dead or dying battery on your cell phone or laptop – with no way to charge it back up. Help could be just around the corner. Public charging kiosks are popping up in more locations. Before you plug in – there are a few things you should know. According to Krebs on Security, when you take advantage of one of those public charging spots, you could be at risk of losing all your data. A shady kiosk could be configured to download all your photos, contacts and other data – or even be used to install malware on your device.

Charging Kiosks in airports are generally pretty safe. Those found in malls or other places may be a lot riskier. There’s no way of knowing who put them there or how they’re configured. If you REALLY need to use one – turn your phone off first. That could give you some level of protection – but using your own charger is always the safest bet.