Recent cyber incidents involving airline and airport Wi-Fi networks are raising concerns about the risks corporate travellers face when connecting to public networks.
In August, Delta Air Lines was targeted in a Wi-Fi phishing attack after an unauthorised network appeared on board, mimicking the airline’s legitimate onboard network. The incident was identified as a potential ‘evil twin’ attack, where a fake network is created to trick users into connecting and potentially handing over sensitive information.
Later in the month, Manchester, Stansted and East Midlands airports in the UK were hit by a cyber-attack in which hackers accessed the data of about 8,7 million customers, according to The Guardian.
The airports are operated by Manchester Airports Group, with the compromised information including data from airport Wi-Fi sign-ups, as well as car park, lounge and fast-track bookings.
Corporate safeguards
As cyber risks become more widespread, corporate travellers are being advised to take precautions when using public networks.
“Most corporate travel policies encourage the use of VPNs to try to limit the risk. There is also a significant increase in two-factor authentication to try to reduce the threat of hacking,” said Linda Edwards, MD of XL Turners Travel.
She said companies were also becoming more proactive in educating travellers about the risks.
“A lot of corporate travel policies I have seen recently are giving more practical advice and making their travellers aware of the potential consequences of using public Wi-Fi.”
Companies also recommend eSIMs so that travellers can completely avoid public networks.
