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Hotel Wi-Fi is unsafe for your work, according to FBI

3 min. read

Updated onNovember 21, 2023

updated onNovember 21, 2023

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Key notes

TheFBIrecently issued a PSAto inform teleworkers of the risks of using hotel Wi-Fi networks.

Reportedly, the Federal Bureau of Investigation noticed an increasing number of hotel remote workers.

While remote working from hotel rooms isn’t inherently bad, connecting to a hotel Wi-Fi network might subject you to certainsecurityrisks.

Some of the most serious ones includepersonal datathefts, or compromising work resources.

Apparently, more and more US hotels started advertising room reservations during the daytime for those who seek a distraction-free environment.

This comes as a blessing for teleworkers who can’t seem to focus on their work environment while at home. On the other hand, the risks may outweigh the benefits in this situation, especially in lieu of appropriatesecuritymeasures.

Unfortunately, when it comes to Wi-Fi networks, hotel management staff caters to the convenience of their customers, at the expense of theirsecurity.

As a result, not only is the Wi-Fi password available for everyone to see in the hotel lobby, but it also gets replaced quite rarely.

The risks of using hotel Wi-Fi networks

There are a few quite serious risks you may expose yourself to while using Wi-Fi networks in hotels:

How do I reduce the risks of using hotel Wi-Fi?

1. Use a trustworthy VPN

You can purchase a premiumVPNsubscription plan, we recommendPrivate Internet Access, to encrypt network traffic.

AVPNcan easily protect yourprivacyby encrypting traffic between your device and theVPNgateway.

This renders network monitoring tools and Man-In-The-Middle attacks useless.

However, you should still keep an eye out for Evil Twin attacks. More often than not, an Evil Twin network won’t be password-protected and will have a weaker signal.

2. Don’t use the hotel’s Wi-Fi

If you have a hefty data plan on your mobile device, just use that instead of the hotel’s Wi-Fi.

You can either create ahotspoton your phone/tablet or useUSB to tetherit and share your Internet connection.

Also, you may want to avoid using the auto-connect feature on your PC, to avoid it automatically connecting to the hotel’s Wi-Fi network or an unprotected Evil Twin one.

3. Keep it simple

If you’re there for work, make sure you stay focused and avoid logging in on too many websites.

That goes double for any website where you may input sensitive data, such as your SSN, credit card details, as well as other credentials.

Last, but not least, always check the security certificates of the websites you’re visiting. If you don’t see HTTPS, then it’s a no-go.

If you follow these steps, you shouldn’t have to worry about the dangers of working using a hotel’s Wi-Fi.

What’s your take on this latest development? Share your opinion with us in the comments section below.

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Hotel Wi-Fi is unsafe for your work, according to FBI#

Hotel room teleworking is trending#

The risks of using hotel Wi-Fi networks#

How do I reduce the risks of using hotel Wi-Fi?#

1. Use a trustworthy VPN#

2. Don’t use the hotel’s Wi-Fi#

3. Keep it simple#