Basically, cyber-criminals are everywhere.

Why?

Because of the internet but there are three common places hackers love to phish for their victims. Poor victims…

Are you ready?

1. Airports, where attacks are aimed at anyone, to investors, business officials with access to intellectual property, money, privilege information, clients data and more) and VIPs all can take place in an airport environment with ease.
2. Hotels are the second most common place for attacks. It is very easy to fool anyone in order to connect to a network to gain access to data, and then perform an attack or wait patiently to be re-located to a corporate network and mine gold.
3. Coffee shops are the right place for both low-end and high-end attacks. For example, script kiddies (acting hackers who use step by step tools to perform hacks mainly to grab attention and recognition of their non-existing skills). However, let’s not underestimate them as they can have advanced tools sold to them by an elite hacker who might have built in hidden capabilities. You can never be sure of the botnet or a big thing you could end up being on.

Why?

I am not sure how familiar you are with how security personnel work to control the environment they must protect but it is a common practice. They hate it when they do not control the environment because it has too many openings to threats from different locations. They follow this practice for physical locations, but the same practice is applied to your network security. So, just like you need to know from which locations someone can shoot you and you spot 3 buildings, pavement with 2 big objects someone can hide behind and catch you off guard; there are virtual dangerous locations as well. That is why you need to figure out these risky points and find solutions to control them.

And guess what. Attackers follow the same approach but to their benefit. The first thing they examine is your environment in order to figure out a way to penetrate your security. However, this process takes time. That is why they prefer their victims to be out of the environment they control because that way it is much easier, faster and cheaper to attack them.

The common denominator for both sides; protective or offensive is the same, who has control of the environment because they know that this factor defines their success.

Did you notice what these three locations I mentioned have in common? All three are out of your control. Thus, they make the perfect location for an attack from a cyber-criminal. Someone else set it up, monitors and controls it. Do you know who that is? No, it’s not the airport personnel, neither the coffee shop owner, nor the hotel management team. The correct answer is the hacker!

Want a little help?

I mean do not take this the wrong way but the last time I checked:

• hotels offer bed and breakfast,
• coffee shops offer coffee and other beverages and
• airports, you guessed it, offer travelling to other countries.

None of those locations is famous for their capabilities of stopping hackers and putting them in jail. At least the last time I checked, and it was pretty recently!

Hackers will try to catch you everywhere so, choose the location of your war zone with them keeping in mind this detail. Keep your devices in an environment you control.

Such a simple rule with so much power over your security and protection. Keep your devices in an environment you control.

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So I am now turning it over to you. If you found this tip useful please share it with others. I would also like to hear your thoughts:

1. Are you going to apply this tip to increase your protection levels?
2. What other locations you can think of where it is better not to connect to a Wi-Fi because it is out of your control?

I cannot wait to hear your comments so leave them below and let’s continue the conversation.