Hotel Wifi Security – Is Hotel Wifi Safe to Use

February 14, 2023 By Janne Smith No Comments 9 minutes

Is hotel Wifi safe to use? No, hotel Wifi networks are not secure to use. They come with the most vulnerable connections that can cause data demolishment. Since hotel Wifi lacks rudimentary security features and is overcrowded with overwhelming traffic, it is impossible to shield your digital traffic from nefarious cybercriminals.

In the wake of a more significant number of users, hotel Wifi is an appealing spot for Cybercriminals to attack. They can easily unsheathe user data and use it for the wrong purposes. Therefore, using a premium VPN can protect your digital activities from getting tracked if you use hotel Wi-Fi. This guide will mention the necessary security measures to take if you connect to a hotel Wi-Fi.

Why is Hotel Wi-Fi not Safe to Use?

Hotel Wifi is unsafe to use since the robust privacy features are unavailable to encrypt users’ data. The servers and IP addresses are easy to penetrate. Hotels do not follow any security measures or prioritize implementing security over convenience.  That’s why hotel Wifi spots are the primary earmark for cyber attackers for potential targets.

Using free Wifi, free wireless Wifi, and hotel Wifi are risky, even if they use passwords. The overwhelming number of users sharing the Wifi passwords around the hotel comes with significant security risks. Here are some dangerous cyberattacks you can confront if you use the hotel Wi-Fi during lodging without a secure VPN.

• Man-in-the-Middle Attacks

In a man-in-the-middle attack, a cyber attacker positions himself in the conversation and spies on the data as a third party. The communicators cannot identify that their conversation is being monitored, and they are no longer in a typical two-way communication exchange.

• Denial of Service Attacks

A denial of service attack shuts down a system and blocks the user’s access to the network. Nefarious attackers do that by scamming the target’s system with traffic. In a Dos attack, users can face financial or reputational damage to their organization.

• Password Attacks

Using a free hotel Wifi comes with password attacks. A distributed network password cannot provide you with a safe environment to log in to your essential apps and sites. In password attacks, cybercriminals use malicious ways to access your account and take advantage of sensitive data.

• Phishing Attacks

If you are online banking using a free hotel Wifi, your data is at the edge of severe risk. Phishing attacks are a fraudulent form of information that’s candy wrapped to trick users into that it’s coming from a trustworthy source. Usually, cyberattackers use emails to fulfill this hideous purpose. The target behind the phishing attacks is to steal user data, including credit card and login information.

• Router Hacking Attack

Router hacking attacks can cause unretrievable damage to users’ information. Cybercriminals geniously attack hotel Wifi’s routers and access guests’ information including keycard logins, and banking/credit card details to use it for their evil purposes.

• Evil Twin Attack

With the evil twin attack, cyberattackers assemble a fake Wifi connection, resembling the hotel’s Wifi identity, that tricks the users into being connected to the actual Wifi. In this way, nefarious forces access gain direct access to guests’ computers, smartphones, and every device that connects the same network.

• Packet Sniffing Attack

A malevolent packet-sniffing attack capture vulnerable networks that don’t follow top-notch encryption. In a packet sniffing attack, the malicious force records the packets of data that you are encoding and decoding. In this attack, cyber attackers gain direct access to your data without it routing to your system. Using free hotel Wifi can cause you to compromise critical and confidential data.

Can Hotel Wi-Fi Track Your Activities?

Yes, hotel Wifi tracks your digital footprints. The admins of hotel Wifi could likely see your virtual activities if your network is unencrypted. They can follow your web browsing activities despite not having access to read your messages. They can connect this information to the room number assigned to you and know the time limit you are spending on a particular site. That said, it is quite an extensive amount of exposure, and this way, they can spy on all your internet-using activities until you connect a robust VPN to shield your internet identity.

Once you connect to a VPN using the hotel’s Wifi, the third parties can only see packets of encrypted data the user exchanges through the hotel’s Wifi server. They cannot access what those data packets contain.

Here, we have mentioned ways to stay secure on hotel Wifi:

How to Stay Secure on a Hotel Wi-Fi?

There are some safety measures that you can follow to stay secure while using a hotel Wifi.

• Use a Premium VPN with Simultaneous Connections to Secure Your Devices

Using a reputable VPN, route your internet traffic through encrypted tunnels that are secure from inquisitive third parties. Using free hotel Wi-Fi will not cause any data harm since a quality VPN prevents your IP address and digital data from getting leaked.

• Don’t Use Banking Apps on a Free Hotel Wi-Fi 

It is convenient to prevent the problem rather than solve it after hefty demolishment. Keep in mind that it is better to wait and reach home to check your banking apps than to risk your passwords and account details. Free hotel Wifi comes with vulnerable networks that can expose your banking details to prying third parties via any hideous attempt.

• Always Double Check the Hotel Wi-Fi Name Before Connecting 

It might sound tempting to connect to the first Wi-Fi immediately after checking in to a hotel. But be aware that Cyber attackers set up traps by showing you Wi-fi networks similar to the hotel’s name. Connecting to the wrong network can risk your data. It is essential to ask the front desk officer for accurate WiFi.

• Enable VPN Protocols to Maintain Encryption

The simple yet secure form of protecting your data is to connect a quality VPN that offers impenetrable encryption standards. Not only is a VPN enough to protect your data from cyber vulnerabilities, but the robust VPN protocols including OpenVPN, IKEv2, IPSec, and WireGuard.

• Always Use the Latest Sofware on your Devices 

Cyber vulnerabilities become more dangerous if you aren’t operating an upto date software on your devices. Whether using free hotel Wi-Fi or a private network, looking for software patch management comes in handy since they can scan the computers and systems to operate advanced software. Maintaining your device with the latest software updates ensures digital security.

• Don’t Open Any Links That Seems Suspicious 

Always ensure you visit secure sites by checking the URL they use is HTTPS instead of HTTP. You can do that by checking a padlock symbol next to the URL. Avoid opening random links and unknown emails since they carry malware and trick you into accessing your system and data. You can also encrypt your online activities by using the TOR browser.

• Don’t Provide your Genuine Personal Details if Asked 

Free Wi-Fi in coffee shops, airports, malls, and hotels ask for your personal information such as email or name. Don’t ever provide genuine details. Instead, you can give a fake ID or whatever information they are asking to allow connecting to the Wi-Fi. Hotels do that for data collection, or it might be possible to verify a user’s identity.

• Activate your Phone’s Data instead of Wi-Fi 

If your phone has data, use it as a Wi-Fi hotspot and connect it to your other devices, such as your computer, laptop, and smartphone. You can use data instead of connecting to the hotel’s Wi-Fi. It is more secure to rely on data than to risk your sensitive information.

Is it Secure to Use Hotel Wi-Fi for Online Banking

No, it is not secure to use hotel Wi-Fi for online banking. When you connect to the hotel Wi-Fi and log in to your online banking applications, malicious third parties start monitoring your activities. As a result, you can lose your indispensable information, from login passwords to sensitive bank data. The nefarious cyber attackers can use it and bring about devastating losses.

If there’s an urgency to check your bank account details on a free hotel Wi-Fi, you must use a reputable VPN to encrypt your online activity from the spying eyes of threatening third parties.

Threats of Using an Unsecured Wi-Fi Network

Using an unsecured hotel Wi-Fi comes with several potential cyber threats, including man-in-the-middle attacks, malware, and phishing attacks.

• Malware: Using an unsecured public network, a nefarious being can infect your operating system by sending malicious files.
• Data-Theft: Free hotel Wi-Fi can never encrypt your online activities. Cybercriminals can penetrate your system by taking advantage of a vulnerability and stealing your sensitive information, including your contact numbers, passwords, pictures, credit card, and online banking details.
• Cyber Tracking: A third party can track your digital footprints by breaking into the system and seeing your whereabouts. All this can happen if you are connected to an unsecured Wi-Fi network.

How Does a VPN Enhance your Security While Using Hotel Wi-Fi

Hotel Wi-Fi has potential risks, and you can prevent them by using a secure VPN. With vulnerable security features and privacy protocols, free hotel Wi-Fi invites malicious third parties to attack your data. That way, they can keep their eyes on your online activities.

Using a quality VPN comes with top-notch security. Once you connect to a secure VPN server, it replaces your local IP address with a unique IP,  that spying third parties cannot penetrate to know your physical location. Besides, a VPN routes your virtual traffic through secure encrypted tunnels that are hidden from the inquisitive eyes of ISPs, government data-logging agencies, and identity thieves. That said, no one can see the grains of the data you transmit over the internet.

Additionally, a VPN offers you cutting-edge security protocols, including IKEv2, WireGuard, and OpenVPN, that are designed to establish unpassable connections between the device and the internet.

Conclusion

Hotel Wi-Fi security is a non-existent thing. Being extra vigilant can save your bacon. A secure VPN that encrypts your online data is preferable if you use an unsecured network in a hotel, coffee shop, and airport. Using FastestVPN, you can protect sensitive data from virtual snoopers and inquisitive third parties and comfortably use free hotel Wi-Fi without being skeptical.

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