‍IT security on public hotel Wi-Fi networks

At this moment, there are approximately 8.238 billion people living on planet Earth. This is an estimate — the actual number may be even higher. Still, even this figure is enough to remind us that it’s an enormous population. And because we all know there are so many of us, we tend to believe that hackers won’t specifically target us. But that’s not how it works. IT security has become an important topic, especially when it comes to hotel Wi-Fi networks, which are a frequent target for cyberattacks. Hotels, large international corporations, and increasingly even individuals and small businesses are investing additional efforts to protect themselves from hacking attempts.

And then comes the familiar question: Why would anyone hack me?

Have you ever considered that while you as an individual may not seem interesting to hackers, the company you work for might be? For large companies, IT security is becoming a critical issue, and they are increasingly allocating additional financial resources to protect their confidential information and financial systems.

A True Story from Unija ETL About IT Security in Hotels

An incident that happened to an employee at Unija ETL clearly demonstrates that hackers never sleep.

A business trip. A business hotel. A rare opportunity to relax without noise and without the constant small tasks we all find for ourselves at home.All one expects is peace and comfort. Some might choose to go straight to bed,but one of the employees from Unija Smart Accounting decided to put in just 20 more minutes of work before calling it a night. She opened her laptop,connected to the Wi-Fi, and completed one final task before turning in.

The business hotel offered free Wi-Fi, the signal was strong, and everything appeared professional. She forgot all those IT security trainings about hotel sand public networks, finished her work, and closed the laptop.

The next morning, a message from the IT team was waiting for her.

Pozdrav, tijekom sigurnosne provjere naišli smo da je tvoj password iscurio na internet, pa bi te molio da ga promijeniš, ako ovo nisu tvoje lozinke ili si ih već promijenio samo mi javi. Hvala

This is the kind of message no one expects — and no one wants to receive. Below the message, she found dozens of attempted logins to her corporate account. The passwords used were, fortunately, incorrect, but disturbingly close to the real one.

The good and important fact is that Unija ETL has its own dedicated IT security team — Unija ETL IT Solutions — which never sleeps and is constantly working to enhance the security of both employees and clients. The suspicious activity was blocked,and the accounts remained uncompromised.

But what exactly happened?

U redu ovo je samo nešto što postoji na internetu, ali ako nisu tvoje lozinke onda je sve u redu. Nemora te biti strah to je nešto što se dešava mi pokušavamo što više toga saznati na vrijeme =)

Hotel public Wi-Fi networks and their security

The incident occurred while the employee was connecting to the hotel’s network. And not just any hotel — it was a business hotel, the kindthat should be expected to maintain high standards of IT security. However, as often happens, the network was not properly configured:

• there was no separation between staff and guest networks
• encryption was outdated
• authentication was weak or nonexistent

Such conditions are a nightmare not only for anyone working remotely but also for hotels and their overall security.

When we think of hotel security, the first things that come to mind are usually locks and key cards. But today, digital security has become equally important. This is not only essential for guests — as this case has clearly shown — but also for hotels themselves. It is crucial that hotels protect their own data and educate their staff. Hotels are highly attractive targets for hackers because they combine a high concentration of both personal and financial data. At the same time, they often have weak technical safeguards and multiple points of access.

Remote work and hotel Wi-Fi: The invisible threat

Whether we admit it or not, most employees — while on vacation, a business trip, or even sitting in a café — will at some point open a work email, CRM system, document, or cloud application. What most of us don’t realize is that Wi-Fi networks are poorly protected, especially public ones. And your login through such a network becomes a perfect bridge to your company.If the bridge is weak, the entire building can collapse.

This applies fully to hotel Wi-Fi networks, which are often:

• Open or protected with weak passwords
• Lacking encryption (or using outdated protocols)
• Shared between guests and hotel staff
• Without any monitoring or attack detection

What can hotels do to improve IT security for their guests?

What can you, as a hotel, do for your guests to increase their safety on your networks? This is not just a technical question — it is also a matter of trust, your hotel’s reputation, and responsibility. You know that your guests are increasingly arriving with laptops and smartphones, ready to work. They expect to “connect” to the network and have their data protected during their stay at your hotel. Hotels that take IT security seriously can reduce risks both for themselves and for their guests. As a company specialized in network security, with a dedicated team of experts in IT security, we recommend that you:

1. Separate the guest and staff networks. The guest network must have restricted access, with isolated devices and no access to servers or POS systems. The staff and business systems network, on the other hand, must be encrypted, protected with access controls, and subject to regular monitoring.

2. Wi-Fi must use WPA3 encryption, or at minimum WPA2. WPA3 should be the standard, and WPA2 only used if WPA3 is technically unavailable. Open networks without passwords should be strictly avoided — we never recommend them.

3. Regular network scanning and threat detection. The implementation of IDS/IPS systems is necessary. As demonstrated in the case we mentioned earlier, Unija ETL’s IT security team conducts continuous scanning and monitoring.

4. Hotels should implement firewalls between internal and public networks and ensure proper network segmentation so that guests cannot viewor access other guests’ devices.

5. Regular updates are essential. Nobody enjoys system updates, and yes,things sometimes stop working afterward — but updates are mandatory. Routers,servers, POS devices — all must be regularly updated to remain protected against known vulnerabilities.

6. And finally, one of the most important aspects emphasized at Unija ETL is employee education and awareness. Every employee must be able to recognize a phishing email and attempts at social engineering.

Hotel security today goes far beyond key cards and door locks.Protecting guest data has become just as important — and it’s a responsibility no hotel can afford to ignore. If you’re not sure whether your current setup is keeping your guests and business safe, get in touch with us. We’ll help you identify what might be missing and provide a clear assessment of your security system.

Is your hotel’s IT security system truly safe?

The story of the Unija ETL employee had a happy ending — thanks to a strong IT infrastructure and proper training, the incident was detected in time. But that is not always the case, and it’s important to remember that:

• IT security in hotels is not a luxury — it’s a necessity.
• Remote work without clear rules and IT support is a risk.
• The IT department is not just there to fix things when they “stop working” — it     is an active line of defense.

If you manage a hotel or are part of a hotel’s IT system, it’s important to ask yourself a few key questions:

• Are your networks separated both physically and digitally?

• Do you provide encryption based on the latest standard (WPA3)?

• Do your users receive automatic notifications about potential threats?

• Can your system respond in the middle of the night, while the guest is asleep?

If the answer to these questions is no, then it’s definitely time for a system review — and for contacting an IT security team. Unija ETL IT Solutions can be your first step.

Get in touch with us.

Conclusion: Small actions that prevent major damage

This story is not meant to cause panic. It reflects the every day reality of many employees around the world. And there are many of them. Some receive timely information about an attempted attack on their system and manage to avoid it. Others are not so fortunate and face the consequences of wrong decisions. Our story is simply a reminder of how easy it is to overlook digital risks, especially in situations that seem harmless — and how important IT security in hotels really is. One click. One Wi-Fi connection. And the doors are wide open.

So, the next time you log in from a hotel — or simply work remotely on a “somewhat unfamiliar” network — remember that even though there are about 8 billion of us on this planet, you are not invisible.

Even more important is the fact that, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), before the COVID-19 pandemic there were more than 17 million hotels and other accommodation facilities worldwide. That’s a vast number of places where you could accidentally leave behind your digital footprint.

That’s why it’s important to choose wisely — and for hotels to take smart steps to protect their systems.

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