Charge your iPhone = get a virus?

(photo credit: Dereck Hatfield - Flickr)

We’ve all been there. That dreaded moment when we just have to find that charger and plug it in to get us through the day or flight. But could plugging in your iPhone severely cripple your phone or compromise its security?

The problem, discovered:

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology (GIT) say this could very well be the case. GIT staff went on to explain that they were able to infect devices by installing software in the chargers. Here’s the scary part. The end user would not notice a thing while the malicious files were being transferred into their phones. Why? In about 60 seconds, the compromising of the device would have taken place without any interaction from the user needed. Even scarier is that it does not take jailbraking or modifying the device.

The best solution:

Making sure that your charger is the original charger that came with your apple device, as opposed to buying 3rd party chargers or borrowing chargers if you are unsure of their origin, may very well be a good way to keep your phone safe. Too, adding a virus protection application (yes, iPhones DO need antivirus protection) to your device and keeping it updated could also improve your chances of keeping your device safe.

Staying informed about the dangers is the most effective way to protect your device. To do that, you’ll want to subscribe to cellphonius.com where we are always on the look out for information that helps our readers stay well equipped to enjoy their mobile devices as well as keeping them safe. Follow the editor of cellphonius.com on Twitter @maestroalvarez or on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/cellphonius Find us on Google+ cellphonius