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Reasons for Never
Sharing Your Boarding Pass With Anyone:
Capt.
David Skjerven
Reasons to never share a photo of your
airline boarding pass. It’s not uncommon for travelers to excitedly post photos
before flying off on an adventure. Sometimes, these snaps include a picture of
their boarding pass – an innocent but shockingly risky move. Boarding passes
are a necessary part of air travel, and while they might seem innocuous, the
barcode or QR code on your boarding pass holds a treasure trove of personal
information. Many travelers, including Australia’s former Prime Minister Tony
Abbott, share photos of their boarding passes on social media platforms without
realizing the potential risks. Here are five compelling reasons why you should
never share a picture of your boarding pass online.
1 Personal information exposure Anyone can
access your data with just a few clicks Your boarding pass contains sensitive
personal data, including your full name, flight number, and booking reference
or PNR (Passenger Name Record) – an alphanumeric code that is unique to your
booking – and a barcode or QR code. This information might seem harmless at
first glance, but all it takes is your boarding pass photo to fall into the
wrong hands (like those of a cybercriminal) for things to take a dangerous
turn. The barcode or QR code on your boarding pass holds a significant amount
of encrypted data. Anyone with free online software and ill intentions can
unlock this goldmine of information. Speaking to the Condé Nast Traveler,
privacy researcher Bill Fitzgerald revealed:
2 Security risks and identity theft They’ve
accessed your data using the barcode – what next? Remember those details you
put in when booking your flight? All that can potentially be accessed by
hackers simply by using the data retrieved via your boarding pass barcode or QR
code. This information, when decoded, can reveal details about your travel
plans, personal identification, and, in some cases, your passport or driver’s
license details.
3 Frequent flyer vulnerability You could be
robbed of your hard-earned points Many boarding passes display the traveler’s
frequent flyer number. Malicious prowlers can use this information to access
your loyalty program accounts, potentially redeeming your hardearned miles,
which don’t necessarily have to be used to book another flight; they can
sometimes be traded for gift cards and other purchases.
4 Location, travel schedule disclosure, and
changes It gets creepier than a dangerous stranger knowing your whereabouts If
you’ve ever tried changing your flight – and are not a frequent flyer with a
password-protected account – you would know that in order to access your
booking details, all you need to do is enter your PNR or booking reference
number and last name. With these details in plain sight on your boarding pass,
almost anyone can change your flight schedule.
5 Social engineering attacks Access to
primary data can lead cybercriminals to more information Cybercriminals can use
the information from your boarding pass for social engineering attacks. They
might impersonate airline staff or customer service representatives armed with
the details obtained from your boarding pass and attempt to deceive you into
providing additional sensitive information or manipulating you into
compromising situations
I had hear of this before so I never throw my
boarding pass into the trash at the airport or the hotel we are vacationing
at. I tear them up into little pieces. Happy Holidays, David W.
Skjerven
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