Ever think airplane mode is just to protect your phone? Turns out it might be to protect you from the guy in seat 17C. A 44-year-old man in Australia just got sentenced to seven years in prison for running what prosecutors called "Evil Twin" WiFi attacks, basically setting up fake airport and in-flight networks to steal data from fellow travelers. His vacation plans are now severely limited.

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So what's an "Evil Twin" attack? It's exactly what it sounds like, but less fun than a soap opera. This guy would create a fake WiFi hotspot with a name almost identical to a legitimate one, like "Qantas_Free_WiFi" instead of the real deal. When unsuspecting passengers connected, thinking they were about to post a mid-air cloud selfie, he'd intercept their data—logins, credit card info, you name it. He was the digital pickpocket of the friendly skies.

The funny part is the sheer audacity of the crime scene. Airplanes are one of the last places where we're all forced to be polite and sit quietly. Meanwhile, this guy is running a full-on cybercrime operation between the snack service and the seatbelt sign. You're there worrying if your elbow is encroaching on the armrest, and he's harvesting passwords. It adds a whole new layer to "watch your neighbors."

It also makes you rethink every "Free Airport WiFi" network you've ever joined. That thing you connected to called "Melbourne_AIRPORT" might have just been "Melbourne_AIRPRT" run by a hacker in the food court holding a suspiciously large smoothie. His operation is a perfect reminder that if the internet access seems too good to be true while you're waiting at a gate, it probably is.

In the end, justice was served at 30,000 feet. He thought he was the smartest guy in the cabin, but he forgot one crucial rule: never commit crimes where everyone is literally trapped with nothing to do but potentially notice you acting shady. So next time you fly, maybe just stick to the in-flight magazine. It's low-res, but it's secure.