Simify eSIMs and unlimited international data plans help reduce cyberattacks

Using free hotel WiFi to save money when travelling, rather than relying on Simify’s unlimited eSIM roaming data, is not worth the risk when more than half of hotels experience multiple cyberattacks during the peak travel season.

To explore some of Simify’s global eSIM packages go to: https://simify.com

From hotels and airports to cafés and laundromats, free public WiFi is ubiquitous when travelling overseas. Designed to attract tourists, free WiFi also attracts hackers looking to steal personal information in order to commit fraud and identify theft.

By compromising public WiFi, hackers can plant malware on connected devices as well as eavesdrop on internet traffic. Lurking in the background, they can steal a wide range of sensitive information such as logins and passwords, banking details, credit card numbers and other personal details.

Connecting to seemingly secure hotel WiFi is especially risky, when 58 per cent of hotel cybersecurity leaders reported five or more cyberattacks during the 2024 peak travel season, according to Hospitality Net’s 2024 Cybersecurity in Hotels Report.

Meanwhile, smaller businesses like cafés and laundromats, which don’t employ cybersecurity experts, are unlikely to even realise they have been attacked, Aidan Butler, co-founder of Australian international roaming provider and eSIM specialist Simify.

“It sounds like a great idea for saving a few bucks on data, but people are starting to wake up to the fact that public WiFi isn’t safe anymore,” Butler says.

“Logging into hotel or café WiFi once seemed harmless but, with cybersecurity threats constantly evolving, you just can’t be sure whether that WiFi network is really legit and secure.”

The airport is another danger hotspot where travellers face risks from free WiFi before they even leave the country. Last year, an Australian was charged with operating “evil twin” WiFi networks at airports and on flights, tricking travellers into connecting to fake public WiFi in order to steal personal information.

“People can be too trusting, just because you see a network called ‘Free Airport WiFi’ pop up nearby, that doesn’t mean it’s the real deal,” Butler says.

“Wherever you are, it’s impossible to be sure that so-called free public WiFi isn’t really being operated by some shady character sitting in the corner.”

Taking the risk of using free WiFi when travelling was tempting back in the days of expensive roaming data, but today’s unlimited eSIM travel plans mean that travellers can avoid WiFi and always stay online using secure mobile data.

As an added bonus, travel eSIM users can keep their Australian mobile number active for receiving important messages like verification codes from their bank.

“Simify’s unlimited eSIM travel plans have become so popular because people don’t want to risk their personal information on dodgy WiFi,” Butler says.

“Free public WiFi isn’t really free if your bank account gets cleaned out when you’re travelling abroad.

To explore some of Simify’s global eSIM packages go to: https://simify.com