Travel Tip 7
Not every Wi-Fi network is private
Travel Tip 7
Not every Wi-Fi network is private
At home, your network is secured and watched over. Abroad, you borrow someone else’s. A rented villa, a yacht’s onboard system, a private island community, or a luxury resort may run on equipment that is outdated, shared with strangers, or wide open to anyone nearby. Whoever controls that network can see your traffic and reach your devices.
Warning signs of vulnerable Wi-Fi networks
- A villa, yacht, or resort network with a simple shared password, or none at all
- One flat network that ties every guest, device, and system together
- Equipment that looks old, unbranded, or left on factory default settings
- No clear owner or manager for the network you are asked to join
BlackCloak’s cybersecurity travel tips
- Treat every borrowed network as public, and keep your VPN on
- Use your own cellular hotspot for anything private or financial
- Avoid signing in to your most sensitive accounts while abroad
- Keep your devices updated so known weaknesses are already closed
Destination: Reality
Our cybersecurity experts assessed a member’s home in an exclusive overseas island community and found a single networking device connecting dozens of homes and yachts on one open network. Using default settings alone, the team found exposed private data including resident names, vessel details, and dock numbers. From a passing boat, or the far side of the world, a criminal could have done the same.