JTB forecasts 40 million Japanese [https://www.travelvoice.jp/english/jtb-forecasts-40-million-japanese-domestic-t ravelers-for-this-summer-vacation-period-45-fewer-travelers-than-two-years-ago] domestic travelers for this vacation period, this puts a lot of travelers in danger. Even though these domestic tourists have provided much-needed relief to the bleeding hotel industry of Japan, experts warn about the risks public Wi-Fi in hotels may pose. "Hackers often use hotel Wi-Fi to attack guests. This is especially important now that travelers are keen to see more familiar places and stay in local hotels, which often have poorly secured networks," NordVPN's [http://www.nordvpn.com/ja/] digital privacy expert Daniel Markuson explains. How can hotel Wi-Fi be hacked? Hackers can connect to hotel Wi-Fi as easily as guests do, snoop on users' online activity and steal their passwords and personal information. They can also install malware on a user's computer or hack into the hotel's database and download the guests' credit card information. Another threat is hackers positioning themselves as a Wi-Fi hotspot — the so-called evil twin Wi-Fi. In this scenario, cybercriminals set up fake unprotected Wi-Fi hotspots next to the hotel to trick hotel guests into connecting. Such networks usually have an unsuspicious name such as "Guest Wi-Fi". "Hotel networks are often built for the guests' convenience, ignoring security practices. This is especially common in smaller hotels, where simple and easy-to-remember passwords are created in favor of the guests," Daniel Markuson from NordVPN [http://www.nordvpn.com/ja/] emphasizes. How can guests stay protected? Daniel Markuson recommends using mobile data while away from home instead of hotel or any other public Wi-Fi. However, if this is impossible, here are some things travelers can do to stay protected: - Connect to secured Wi-Fi. Ask the person at the reception desk to give you the exact name and password of the hotel you are staying in. - Disable automatic connections. This will prevent you from connecting to the network you didn't intend to connect to. - Don't make any purchases or reservations using hotel Wi-Fi. Guests like to make reservations for attractions in the town or city they are visiting using hotel Wi-Fi. This is quite convenient but also makes our sensitive information vulnerable. - Use a VPN. The best and most effective way to ensure any user's security over an open Wi-Fi connection is by using a VPN service. It encrypts users' data and doesn't allow third parties to intercept it. SOURCE: NordVPN