Hotel Business Centers: How Safe Are They?

On a recent trip to New York, I stayed at an elegant 4-star hotel in midtown Manhattan. Despite my posh surroundings, when I stepped into the hotel's business center it was as if I were in a low-budget motel where rooms are rented by the hour. Why the strong reaction? Every PC in the business center was visibly infected with adware and spyware. Despite the obvious risks, the business center was a popular destination for many of the hotel's guests. One of those guests admitted that he used the PCs - even though he knew they were infected - because they were free and convenient. But the high price he paid for free and convenient was the risk of keyloggers recording his every keystroke, capturing account details for everything from banking to email to corporate communications. For tips on connecting safely while traveling, see "Hotel Business Centers: How Safe Are They?"