Beware Airport Internet Service

Business travelers are always on the go and down time at the airport can seem like the perfect time to catch up on emails and other work. However, according to a report from CNET News, airport Internet may not be secure at all and travelers may want to think twice before logging on.
The warning stems from a blog posting on Symantec Hosted Services’ website, following an employee’s discovery of fake antivirus software on a computer at an Internet terminal in a U.K. airport. Known as “scareware,” the malware claims a computer is infected with a virus and urges users to purchase software to correct the problem. The malware then disables or uninstalls existing antivirus software.
Symantec cautions that the presence of this malware indicates airport computers and available networks are not protected and possibly infected with other hidden malwares, such as keylogger. There is no way to spot keyloggers, which capture the information users type into the computer. Public computers and networks could be storing travelers’ user names, passwords and other private information. Reversing the damage done by these types of malware can be costly and timely.