A recent survey by Kinetic Business shows that 57% of people say they don’t feel safe using public Wi-Fi, and that’s not just because of paranoia. It has been estimated that over 28% of Wi-Fi hotspots worldwide are unencrypted, leaving users vulnerable to data interception. Even though travelers routinely rely on airport Wi-Fi to check email or simply browse social media while waiting for their flight, a significant number admit they use these networks for sensitive tasks such as banking, work, or shopping.
The weak security of the airport networks leaves the door open for cybercriminals to attack. Hackers may set up so-called evil twin hotspots that impersonate a real airport network, tricking you into connecting. Or they can perform a man-in-the-middle attack that intercepts and manipulates your data in real time.
That’s why it’s important to stay vigilant. There are several tricks you can rely on to stay safe, even if connected to an airport’s public network. Learn what the hidden dangers are lurking in the Airport’s Wi-Fi and how to avoid them. A few smart precautions can make all the difference.
The evil twin
The evil twin attack is one of the easiest methods hackers use at airports to get access to people’s cloud drives, emails, or work systems. They create a rogue access point that clones the SSID (network name) of a legitimate hotspot. For example, you might see the “Airport_WiFi” hotspot name, and you wouldn’t suspect it’s a fake. The hackers easily lure their victims by broadcasting a stronger or closer signal than the real network, so travelers are more likely to choose their hotspot. Once connected, you might see the login page, but instead of simply granting access, this page starts collecting your data.
Hackers love the evil twin method because it’s so cheap and easy to use. They only need a laptop or something like a Wi-Fi Pineapple, and once people log in, they can easily intercept most traffic, steal passwords, or redirect users to fake login pages. One of the best defenses against the evil twin is using a VPN that’ll encrypt all your data before it even hits the network you’re logged into. You could also turn off “auto connect” on your device, so it doesn’t jump onto any open network without asking you. If it’s possible, opt to use your own mobile hotspot. It’s far more secure than most free public Wi-Fi’s.
Man-in-the-middle (MitM)
The essence of the Man-in-the-middle attack is digital eavesdropping. A hacker will secretly position himself between you and the internet, which puts him in a perfect position to alter your communications with the network. This is a perfect scam to run at an airport because the public Wi-Fi is often not encrypted.
Even if it is secured, it has very weak defenses that hackers can easily exploit. At airports, hackers often use APR or IP spoofing, a network trick that convinces your device that the attacker is the real gateway and reroutes all your traffic through the hacker’s machine. With this method, they can spy on your login credentials, emails, passwords or inject malicious content into your device.
You can easily protect yourself against a MitM attack if you develop some simple habits. For example, visit only HTTPS websites. That way, even if the hackers are watching, they won’t be able to read all your data. Connecting through a VPN can also help you with the encryption process, making interception much harder for the attacker. Finally, disable the auto-connect option on your device and simply avoid logging into sensitive services unless you’re on a trusted, secure network.
Malware distribution
Public Wi-Fi networks, such as the ones in airports, are a perfect playground for cybercriminals. Because these are open networks, they often lack encryption that protects users against hackers. That’s why you can easily “catch a bug” while using open Wi-Fi in an airport.
Hackers use these open hotspots to inject malicious software directly into the devices of unsuspecting passengers. That’s typically done by delivering drive-by downloads through HTTP with weak security. The files will install on your device without you ever realizing.
To defend yourself against malware distribution, it’s vital to treat public Wi-Fi as a potential minefield. Use a trusted VPN to encrypt all your network traffic. This is not a 100% protection against malware, but VPNs are making it harder for hackers to access your data. Avoid clicking on suspicious links or prompts, especially those that ask you to download something or to verify your credentials. Use an antivirus tool and keep it up to date. Finally, use a personal hotspot with your own mobile data. This is often a much safer option than free Wi-Fi at the terminal.
Session hijacking
Session hijacking is a very real danger of connecting to an airport’s free Wi-Fi. When you log into a website, your email, or your bank account, the server issues a session token (often stored in a cookie) that identifies you for the remaining time of your browsing session. Hackers can steal your cookie (no pun intended) and impersonate you. This will give them full access to your session and all your vulnerable information, such as corporate emails or bank accounts.
Hackers often run session sniffers to capture unencrypted traffic on an airport network. This allows them to intercept your session ID as it travels between the website and your device. Another method is Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), where a malicious script is injected into a web page, and it steals session cookies from your browser.
These session tokens are often visible in plain text, since many websites don’t enforce HTTPS on all of their pages. The defenses against session hijacks are pretty straightforward. Always visit HTTPS websites only, use a VPN, and make sure the websites you’re checking always use secure session management, which is often marked as “Secure” or “HttpOnly.” You can also enable multi-factor authentication. This way, even if your session gets hijacked, the attacker will have a hard time doing anything practical with your information.
