What is the safest wifi at the airport? Is probably in his pocket

With the increase of the summer travel season, a Virginia Tech expert wants to remind you that you swim in a reservoir full of hackers at the airport. And you are vulnerable.

With the increase of the summer travel season, a Cybersecurity expert in Virginia Tech wants to remind travelers that they swim in a tank full of hacking sharks at the airport. And are vulnerable.

“There are many other things to focus on. Delays, other legs of the trip and what you will do when you get there. But it is also a kind of congregation of people who do not respect, which is an environment that the attackers often seek, ”he said Matthew HicksAssociate professor of computer science at Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering.

Hicks’ research focuses on providing hardware and computer software -and airports are a special challenge.

Unlike a cafe or a doctor’s office, there are thousands of passengers who share the same WiFi networks. Airports do a good job in ensuring the WiFi they offer, but they are still public networks, most do not require a password.

And even the choice of the wifi that you think is the safe and official airport network. Hackers will imitate the name of the WiFi network, sometimes just sparkling a word – such as “sweet”.

“You could easily look at the one with one L and you think you are connected to the official Washington Dulles airport and, in contrast, you are connected to attackers,” Hicks said.

There is a safer option and one that is probably as fast as the overloaded airport network and is probably in your pocket. If your wireless carrier gives you a personal option at the hot point on the phone, use that.

“It’s like bringing the network home with you,” Hicks said. “You actually create a personal network that uses encryption on the spot at the airport. It passes from the device to the mobile phone, and the mobile phone carries this information through the mobile network. “

The same risks apply once you got on the plane. Airlines offer WiFi connections which are also public networks, without password protection. A hacker could be anywhere in the plane with dozens of vulnerable live connections. And, while they are still at the gate, these attackers may not even be on the plane, but only in a very close proximity to it.

Hicks says the best way to protect you is not to provide any potential access to hacker to the information they could exploit. If there is no emergency to check the bank account or open a working sheet, limit the use of the airport and the airline to the harmless data, such as dealing with news.

“We call it in my class that I teach Virginia Tech” Rational paranoia, “Hicks said. “You should not be afraid that heaven falls and everything is a threat. But Reading USA Today is a perfect case of use, because there is nothing that a hacker will win other than (knowing) you are well read at current events. “

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