DarkHotel – Are You Safe From This Hotel Wi-Fi Attack?

To the shock and dismay of every guest staying at a hotel, a cyber security company recently discovered that several hotels’ Wi-Fi poses ‘planned’ security and privacy threat for guests checking into the hotels.

A malicious malware is sent to user’s handset or any other device as soon as he/she connects to the hotel’s Wi-Fi.

The malicious software then asks the user to install or update Adobe Flash, Google Toolbar, Windows Messenger or any other legitimate software. But, as soon as the user accepts the prompt, all the confidential information such as data, passwords etc. saved on the user’s device is illegally accessed and sent to a predetermined destination.

Is It Too Late?

This shocking discovery was made by Kaspersky Lab – A famous cyber-security company. Thousands of users have already been targeted and victimized by what is named the ‘DarkHotel’ threat. The Hotel Wi-Fi attack has been targeting unsuspecting users for the past seven years, some of whom include high-profile expats in South Korea, Russia, Japan and China.

The operation is still actively targeting victims. Be is as it may that the security firm was late to discover this looming threat; however, it is still not too late to surround yourself by the protective shield offered by PureVPN.

Details of the Threat

After taking a through look at this threat, we arrived at the conclusion that this is indeed a critical threat for hotel Wi-Fi users. Here are the finer details of this threat, and some steps that you need to take before you start using a hotel Wi-Fi so you can be better protect your device from unauthorized access:

Protect your Cache, Protect your Privacy

The malware tricks you into installing a malicious code, which is designed to search for cached passwords in Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, as well as Twitter, Facebook and Google. And the code doesn’t stop here; it is also designed to record keystrokes, so the developer of the code can have a detailed record of your messenger chats, voice conversations, shared files, cloud data etc.

In order to protect yourself from this, and other similar codes, you need a VPN, more specifically, you need PureVPN.

PureVPN secures on public and hotel Wi-Fi hotspots by encrypting your data and keeping you anonymous. As a result, a hacker isn’t able to trace and track your device or access your data since its encrypted using ultra-secure 256-key bit of encryption protocols.

What Happens Next?

As soon as your device is infected by DarkHotel, your social accounts, and bank accounts are immediately jeopardized since the hacker has unrestricted access to your device and the data on it. Unauthorized usage of your accounts, fraudulent financial transactions and unlawful online shopping are some of the financial-blows that you will most-probably get hit by.

So why take risk? You can either choose to avoid using hotel Wi-Fi hotspots altogether or use it with PureVPN on your device.

Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis Team Manager Costin Raiu said: “Every day this is getting bigger and bigger…they’re doing more and more hotels.

So Who Could Be Behind This Threat?

Some security experts are speculating that South Korea might be behind this Hotel Wi-Fi attack. South Korea is a US ally, but fingers are being pointed at the country since the malware does not attack Korean devices, or the devices that it feels are used by Koreans.

Additionally, the key logger employed in the malware also has Korean characters in it, thus leading the security analysts to believe that it has been developed by some coder in South Korea.

DarkHotel is also strongly connected with the recent Sony Films Movie and Executive Salary Secrets Leak incident because a Korean code was found behind this incident. In the light of Sony Films leak incident, we can safely assume that South Korea might just be the country from where the DarkHotel attack is being carried out.

Grab Your Protective Gear To Fight DarkHotel!

As a business entrepreneur, you should not take chances with your personal and financial data. Only you can understand how badly someone can damage your business or reputation. So, ensure your security whenever you visit a hotel or connect to a public Wi-Fi hotspot by using PureVPN.

Grab PureVPN subscription now and become secure, anonymous, and out of the reach of Hotel Wi-Fi attackers. Remember, when hackers target high-profile individuals, they attack with full force and extreme intelligence!