You have probably done it thousands of times. You arrive at the hotel where you are staying, ask for the password or automatically connect to a Wi-Fi network and get Internet. It is a behavior known to everyone and, in fact, no one is suspected or surprised. However, Hotel Wi-Fi networks are quite insecure and in recent years there have been cases of cyberattacks affecting thousands of users.
But do not worry too much, because below we will detail where the danger lies and the measures you can take to protect your online transactions with VPN.
The real danger of Wi-Fi in hotels
There are many ways to attack a hotel's wireless network. One of the most used tricks has to do with the automatic connection. Thus, many users who stay in the hotel are automatically connected to the network that has the name of the hotel, without even asking the staff if this is really the hotel's network.
In other cases, hotel workers or clients can be the targets of cybercriminals. Through emails or other gadgets that they send with the name of the hotel, they get access to the user's device in particular. In this way, once the file containing the mail is opened, the malware it will be spreading through the internal network. In fact, this "virus" would not only affect the user himself, but would use Wi-Fi to access the devices of all those connected to the network.
This situation can be especially delicate in the case of people who, for work reasons, travel frequently and have relevant information about the company on their computers. This is what happened in 2017 with the case of Eternal Blue, when a group of Russian hackers seized sensitive information from many companies.
How to protect your equipment
First of all, the best thing to do is avoid at all costs the use of wireless networks in hotels. If you have recently been connected to one, changing the passwords of important accounts would be advisable. However, if you need to use networks such as those offered by hotels, you can always use one VPN or virtual private network.
Private networks are an alternative that more and more Internet users are turning to. The main reason is that protect and hide the identity of the useror, as they encrypt the data and move it through VPN tunnels, making it impossible for users to hackers know who is hiding behind the device and avoiding the location. Thus, if a hacker tries to enter your computer, the only thing they will see is data that they cannot decrypt.
There are many companies that offer virtual private networks. For example, on the VPNpro portal You can compare the options, depending on what you are looking for or how your device is.
Therefore, protecting identity has become a necessity. In this sense, VPNs are a good alternative to protect the data of companies that share important information across multiple devices.