Good evening and welcome back to another post from ToBeSecured. On yesterday, like most Tuesdays, I released episode 45 of my Cyber Tuesdays series via Youtube and IGTV. This episode is centered around Wi-Fi apps and some interesting information and tips for you to utilize whether your provider is AT&T, Cox Communications, Xfinity, etc. You can tune into this episode to learn more and spread the message to others who may not be aware.
On this week's post, we are going to dive into why using hotel Wi-Fi may not be the best idea whenever you're working remote.
The FBI is concerned about the use of hotel Wi-Fi across the US and are asking workers not to use it. A public service announcement was released in October of last year as a reaction to an increased number of hotels offering daytime room reservations for "guests seeking a quiet, distraction-free work environment.” When you think about it, it's a great offer as a lot of workers shifted to a work-from-home environment and may be surrounded by distractions such as family members, pets, outdoor noises, etc. And this can benefit hotel chains that are desperate to increase their revenue during a pandemic, in which traveling or renting a hotel is rare. To add to it, you could luck up with faster or high-speed internet.
The FBI emphasizes that attackers purposefully target hotels in a bid to steal personal information from its guests. A lot of people accessing hotel Wi-Fi in a confined space means there's an opportunity to perform an “evil twin attack” on potential victims. This is typically used to create an alternative malicious wireless network that is easily mistaken for a hotel’s real Wi-Fi service. Now imagine you accidentally connect to the malicious network and access a secure work portal all day. Only the attacker will be having a joyful day.
If you are using or intend to use hotel Wi-Fi for work, the FBI’s announcement lists a number of signs to look for as a way to tell if your device has been compromised.
They include:
Your mobile device running slowly or launching apps on its own
Automatic website redirections
Pop-up advertisements appearing more often than normal
Battery life becoming much worse than expected
Your cursor moving on its own
Receiving a lot more unwanted emails, text messages, or calls
All are quite obvious and should light up a bulb in your head, but they can be easily looked over or dismissed when you’re trying to work.
The easiest way to avoid poor hotel Wi-Fi security is not to use it. Take advantage of the quiet room being offered, but bring your own wireless access via a mobile hotspot and data sim. For extra protection, use a VPN, and as the FBI suggests, always ensure your devices have all security and operating system updates installed before leaving the house. Alternatively, forget the hotel room completely and use the money saved to upgrade your Wi-Fi router at home and buy a pair of noise-cancelling headphones.
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