Holiday Travel Warning: Cyber Attacks on Business Travellers Surge 30% Over Christmas

Cybercriminals are particularly busy this season, with jam-packed airports and institutions frequented by professionals on business trips.

The bad news: as soon as laptops or smartphones connect to a network, cybercriminals are on the move. A spike of approximately 30% in incidents affecting business travellers is imminent this holiday season.

These incidents involve potential ransomware attacks on laptops or mobile devices that may contain sensitive client data, such as bank or financial information, personal information, and sensitive documents. Public networks, such as airport lounges, cafes, hotel lobbies, and other public spaces, pose a security risk, experts say.

Atlantic.Net Director of Support Services Chris Shyrock explains, 'Business travellers often don't realise they're walking through some of the most dangerous digital environments with devices that could grant access to their entire company network.'

He continues, 'Cybercriminals know that during the holidays, professionals are rushed, distracted, and more likely to make security mistakes.' Shyrock reiterates that, as the holiday season promotes relaxation, people tend to let their guard down, making them easy, vulnerable targets for cyber attackers.

Business Professionals: Viable Targets

Shared Wi-Fi connections are the best domain for cyberattacks, as higher traffic means more data to intercept, more pieces of sensitive information to pocket, and more compromised security among the crowd. And whereas travellers are usually in a rush, the risks escalate, because their guards are down while they are preoccupied.

As business professionals are more likely to harbour personal and private data in their devices, especially client information, financial details, login credentials, and business documents, they become easy targets for cybercriminals, instantly accessing networks and, as such, this sensitive data.

Even sensitive, unencrypted conversations can be accessed by cybercriminals. The worst thing is that the targets are usually oblivious to these attacks.

Shyrock reiterates, 'The value of what's on a business traveller's laptop or phone makes them worth significantly more effort than targeting average consumers. Attackers know that executives and professionals often have elevated access privileges, making them the keys to much larger breaches.'

Common Attacks to Look Out For

Shyrock shares the hidden threats most business professionals on the road should look out for:

Public WiFi Networks

Free Wi-Fi networks that travellers usually connect to, particularly in airports or hotels, can easily be fabricated or duplicated, giving cybercriminals easy access to files and data by intercepting emails, messages, and even login credentials.

Lost Devices

Distracted travellers often neglect to secure the whereabouts of their devices. This is a pretty common scenario, particularly at airport security checks or when eyes are momentarily taken off the bags. Criminals target professionals because they have devices that are potentially loaded with confidential data.

Phishing

Phishing for confidential data can take the form of phishing, and this can happen when travellers are not paying attention to messages they receive. These phishing messages can mimic flight or booking details and contain malicious links that expose sensitive, vulnerable data, which is all these cybercriminals need.

Bluetooth Constantly On

Neglecting to turn off Bluetooth on devices, especially when connected to public WiFi networks, is an easy way for cybercriminals to start unauthorised access to devices.

Your Best Defence

Learning about these cyberattacks is the first step in your best defence. The next best thing is sufficient preparation to reduce the chances of being attacked.

According to Chris Shyrock, 'The best defence is preparation. Before you travel, create a cybersecurity checklist and follow it religiously. Use a VPN on all public networks, no exceptions. Never connect to WiFi networks without verifying their legitimacy with hotel or airport staff. Bring your own charging cables and use wall outlets instead of USB ports.'