Bizarre ‘evil twin’ attack uses airplanes to steal your passwords and there’s a cruel reason why ‘you won’t expect it’

AN “evil twin” lurking on board an airplane could steal your passwords without you even noticing.

That might sound like total nonsense – but it’s a devastating scam that takes advantage of innocent airplane passengers.

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Wi-Fi on airplanes is now very common – but there’s a hidden danger that you might not expect[/caption]

To enact the scam, cyber-criminals will set up fake Wi-Fi networks on planes.

These are designed to look just like an airline’s genuine Wi-Fi network, hence the “evil twin” naming.

And security experts at Kaspersky say that once you’ve logged in to this fraudulent network, you’re at the mercy of criminals.

“Evil twins — malicious Wi-Fi hotspots that intercept user data — are back in vogue,” explained Kaspersky’s Stan Kaminsky.

“While the threat itself is nothing new (we’ve covered it before), fake Wi-Fi incidents have recently reached new heights — literally.

“In a particularly interesting case from Australia, a passenger was arrested for setting up evil twins both at the airport and on board the plane during the flight.”

The attack is strikingly simple, but devastatingly effective.

You turn Wi-Fi on using a phone, laptop, or tablet then connect to what you think is the official network.

Normally when you connect to an airplane’s Wi-Fi network, you’ll be taken through a capture portal.

This will often ask for information from you.

So a passenger might not think twice about typing in personal information to access Wi-Fi.

But that information is being sent directly to the cyber-criminal over a fake network.

And anything you do on that network that isn’t encrypted will be transferred directly to the criminal too.

This lets them pilfer your personal information without you even realizing.

Disconnect immediately and alert a flight attendant.

Stan KaminskyKaspersky

“The insidiousness of this kind of attack lies in the victims’ limited options,” Kaminsky explained.

“Stuck on board a plane, connected to what they believe is legitimate Wi-Fi, they have just two options.

“Provide the requested information, or forgo any and all in-flight entertainment — because neither cellular networks nor other Wi-Fi access points are available during the flight.

“Therefore, the chances of a successful attack are… sky-high.”

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Don’t get caught out when connecting to an airplane’s Wi-Fi[/caption]

The security expert added: “While streaming entertainment saves airlines money on installing and maintaining seatback screens, it requires more vigilance from passengers — who probably don’t expect to be targeted mid-flight.”

SAFETY FIRST!

Thankfully there are some simple rules to help you stay safe.

Firstly, come prepared so that you can avoid having to use airplane Wi-Fi at all.

Try downloading movies and music ahead of time to dodge public Wi-Fi networks.

And if you are intending on using airplane Wi-Fi, make sure to follow the exact instructions on the notice in your seat pocket.

This should show the correct sign-up process, as well as the official Wi-Fi name.

It’s also important to be wary of any discrepancies.

“If something about the Wi-Fi connection seems off compared to the instructions, or if you’re asked to enter detailed personal information like email, passwords, passport details, or payment information, disconnect immediately and alert a flight attendant,” Kaminsky said.

“Confirm with them whether this information is actually required to use the Wi-Fi.

“Show them the device screen so that they can verify the legitimacy of the connection interface.”

Also consider using a VPN – or virtual private network – app on your device.

This helps to protect your internet traffic while connected to a Wi-Fi network.

It will scramble what you’re doing so hackers can’t decipher your activity.