How to Stay Safe While Using Hotel WiFi

Free hotel WiFi may not be secure, even if it is encrypted with a password. Read on to know how to keep your data safe while browsing over hotel WiFi

The first thing many of us look for after we reach our destination is free hotel WiFi. It is always nice to have free WiFi when we are ready to unwind and relax. But free WiFi networks are always not secure. Though they are encrypted with passwords, they may not be secure, which means there could be a hidden price for free hotel WiFi: your privacy.

Free WiFi will be an absolute necessity while visiting foreign countries and many travelers consider it important. When they book their stay, they make sure to check if the hotel offers free WiFi, in addition to other things like room service, breakfast, etc. But is the free hotel WiFi secure? Let’s go deeper and understand if hotel or restaurant WiFi is secure and if not, how to keep yourself secure when you connect to one such public WiFi network.

Free Hotel Wi-Fi

When it comes to in-room amenities, free WiFi is one of the things many look for. Free hotel WiFi is considered a boon, but it could be a bane if you are not aware of the hidden dangers. Hotel WiFi networks may be encrypted with a password, but having a password may not just be enough to consider it secure.

Hotels offer free WiFi so that their guests can stay connected with their family and friends even while abroad. Likewise, free WiFi will be helpful to business travelers as they can continue with their work during their stay in the hotel. Though hotels offer best-in-class hospitality, they may not specialize in information security. For instance, security features may not be turned on. However, using free hotel WiFi for general browsing may not be harmful but logging in to sensitive online accounts may put you at risk.

Hotel WiFi – Is it Really Secure?

Hotels may offer you a comfortable stay, but you cannot expect them to offer cybersecurity. Hotels prioritize their guests’ comfort and put a lot of effort into making them as comfortable as possible. But they may not put that much effort into securing their WiFi network. Some hotels will have a password-protected WiFi network and they may require guests to type in their room numbers to get connected to the internet. But those passwords may not be strong and it is almost equal to having an open WiFi network without a password. Some hotels also allow everyone to join their network and a password will not be required.

This lack of protection and security in such networks results in users becoming victims of cyberattacks. Hackers and cybercriminals generally use unsecured hotel WiFi networks to distribute malware. The cyberattack group, Darkhotel, is well known for its targeted malware and spyware spreading campaigns against business hotel visitors through the hotel’s WiFi network.

Cybercriminals intercept communications by inserting themselves as an intermediary between the visitor’s device and the website they visit. This way, any information they send or receive will pass through the cybercriminals and they can steal data and even misuse it.

The cyberattack group mentioned above has been targeting luxury hotels across the globe and has been distributing malware-infected files via phishing emails. They select their victims and tailor phishing emails for each victim individually and make them as convincing as possible. If you are visiting a hotel that the cybercriminals have targeted, you could also become a victim of cyberattacks or identity theft. They could invade your privacy in different ways and steal sensitive business or personal data.

Can I Use Hotel Wi-Fi for Banking?

No, we do not recommend using hotel WiFi for banking or for making transactions online. As mentioned above, cybercriminals could intercept your communication when you do a transaction online and steal your banking details. When you use unsecured hotel WiFi for banking, your activities can be monitored by cybercriminals and they can gain access to your login details, passwords, and banking details, including your credit card number and more. They could use the stolen details to carry out fraudulent transactions. So, it is wise to avoid making transactions or accessing your bank account on hotel WiFi. However, if you are using encryption tools like VPN to protect your data, you can securely access your bank account.

Do Hotels Monitor Their Hotel Wi-Fi?

Hotels may or may not monitor their WiFi networks and it is hard to predict whether or not they monitor their networks. Just like any other server, hotels also can see their guests’ browsing activities and can snoop on their guests’ web activities. They can see their guests’ IP addresses, login details, and more. You can never think about privacy and anonymity when you browse over hotel WiFi and other public WiFi networks.

Now that you are aware of the dangers of unsecured hotel WiFI networks, let’s understand how to stay safe on hotel WiFi networks.

Is There a Way to Stay Safe on Hotel Wi-Fi?

Hotel WiFi networks are not secure and it is your responsibility to protect yourself from cybercriminals when you connect to one such network. Here are a few ways to protect yourself from random snoopers online.

• Whenever you visit a hotel, do not connect to the network if it is not password protected. Even if it is encrypted with a password, do not join the network blindly. Cybercriminals can intercept communications and steal your personal data. So it is important to be aware of the risks involved before connecting to a hotel WiFi.
• During your stay in a hotel, you can perhaps use the hotel WiFi network for general browsing but avoid using it for banking and for sending sensitive emails.
• Make sure you do not open unsolicited emails and respond to such emails. Likewise, do not download malicious attachments and click on malicious links.
• The best way to stay secure on any network is by encrypting your data with a VPN. VPN is an anonymity and encryption tool that you can use to keep your data secure while you connect to a hotel WiFi network. Not just a hotel WiFi network, but a VPN will keep you safe on all unsecured WiFi networks. It will encrypt all online communications and mask your IP address so that no one can track your online activities. This applies to the ISP, as well, and they too, cannot track your online activities. A VPN will help you stay protected online, irrespective of the network to which you are connected.

Is It Safe To Use A Hotel Wifi With A VPN?

Hotel WiFi may not be secure even if it has a password. Using a VPN is the best and safest way to protect your sensitive data when you are connected to a hotel WiFI network. If you are a frequent traveler, you might want to consider using a VPN to secure your sensitive personal data and business details.

How Can I Use VPN With Public Hotel Wifi?

There are several VPN services out there, but our #1 recommendation for securely browsing over a hotel WiFi network is NordVPN. It is one of the best VPNs to keep your sensitive data safe while you use a public WiFi network.
Here’s how to get started with NordVPN for hotel WiFi.

• Visit NordVPN’s official website and download the VPN app for your device. NordVPN has apps for Windows, Mac, and more, so you can download the app for the device you wish to secure.
• Install NordVPN app and sign in.
• You will see a list of servers to connect to. You can choose any server of your choice and securely connect to it.
• You are now all set to browse the web securely, no matter to which WiFi network you are connected.

NordVPN – A Best VPN While Using Hotel WiFi

One of the most secure and super-fast VPNs, NordVPN, with a huge network of servers across the globe, is a perfect choice for travelers. It offers best-in-class security features and speeds fast enough for all your online activities like browsing, streaming, gaming, and more.

It comes with a wealth of security features like 256-bit encryption, kill switch, DNS leak protection, onion over VPN, double VPN, split tunneling, and more. It also offers multiple VPN protocols and you can choose one based on your needs.

NordVPN works with almost all devices and you can download the VPN app for your device that runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, etc. While you can download and install the VPN on multiple devices, you can secure around six devices at a time.

Likewise, it possesses excellent unblocking capabilities and it can unblock almost any streaming service, including Netflix, Hulu, HBO, and more. There is also a money-back guarantee to test its services.

If this interests you, you can head to our NordVPN review to know more and to get started with this super-fast VPN.

As much as hotels focus on hospitality, they may not focus on cybersecurity. If you are a frequent traveler and if you happen to use hotel WiFi for your business and personal communications quite often, you need to be aware of the hidden dangers of using a public WiFi network. In order to keep your data safe, we recommend using a VPN service. We hope this article helped you understand the hidden dangers of using a public WiFi network and how to keep your sensitive data safe.