Traveling has become easier over the years thanks to advances in technology. From booking hotels and tours to communicating with friends, technology plays a major role in our vacation trips.
While these technological advances make our lives easier, they can also expose us to cyber risks. Laptops, smartphones, and tablets are easy targets for online attacks. Users are busy and often don’t have security best practices in mind. Unfortunately, cybercriminals are always looking for ways to exploit people, and they do so much more easily during the relaxation that inevitably accompanies our vacations.
Check out these top eleven prevention tips to secure data before you travel this holiday season:
1. Change all frequently used passwords.
Make sure your personal information is secure by changing all frequently used passwords, such as PIN numbers and online transaction codes. Avoid using easy phrases, personal information like your birthday, or numeric sequences, including the very common “123456.” In the National Cybersecurity Center’s global analysis of passwords, 23.2 million accounts using this password.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is proposing a new simplified approach to creating strong passwords that takes into account that we often forget our passwords, especially when they tend to get complicated. Length has replaced the combination of length and complexity. For example, let’s use the phrase “I bought my dog in Greece when I was 23!” Your password using this phrase could be a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols like “IB0TM1D0G1NGR @ 23!” This is an easy phrase to remember, but it’s hard for someone to guess as a password.
2. Be careful with travel websites.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, online attacks related to our vacations can occur even before we start traveling. While vacation planning websites can be useful, you need to ensure they are trustworthy. Many online scams pose as genuine websites, pretending to offer luxury vacations, coordination for upcoming trips, discounts and timeshare sales only to steal your personal information.
Use your judgment in these cases. If a deal looks or sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t. Research the company offering the deal thoroughly before you proceed. Another best practice is to use a credit card for your travel transactions instead of your debit card. Credit card companies often have fraud liability protection in case you fall victim to cyber fraud.
3. Do not use public charging stations.
While public charging stations may seem like extremely convenient additions to most airports, they can also be a convenient way for attackers to hack your device.
Hackers can modify these USB connections to install malware on your phone or download data without your knowledge. It's much safer to bring your regular charger and plug it into a wall outlet, or alternatively, carry a power bank with you to charge your phone when your battery is low.
4. Be careful of suspicious looks around you.
You should take precautions when entering personal information on devices or filling out public forms. Turn screen so that other people cannot see what you are typing.
5. Avoid public Wi-Fi hotspots.
While public Wi-Fi can be useful, it's important to remember that these networks are not secure, allowing hackers to easily monitor your activity. Airport Wi-Fi networks are particularly risky, as they are high-traffic areas where people are often in a hurry and not focused.
If you need to make an online transaction while traveling that involves sensitive information, use a VPN or your mobile data . If possible, avoid banking or transactions until you have access to a private network.
6. Keep your devices close to you.
Traveling during the holidays can be chaotic, making it easy to leave your personal belongings out of sight. This is a way for your personal data to be stolen as well. Always keep an eye on your devices and protect them in public places.
7. Avoid social media and “out of office” messages before your trip.
Avoid posting your vacation dates and location on social media. This is essentially an open invitation for all types of criminals to break into your home and gives cybercriminals an incentive to carry out attacks. For example, attackers can use details from your social posts to make calls to family and friends and claim that you need money urgently because you were robbed while traveling or to pay a fine.
It's also important to avoid sharing your location when traveling, as it can create security threats both in the hotel room you're staying in and at home.
8. Back up files before your travels.
Before you leave on any trip, you should back up all your electronic files as a precaution. If you fall victim to a cyber attack or if your devices are stolen, you will still have access to your important files .
9. Make sure your software is up to date.
Software updates are important because they often include critical fixes for security holes. According to McAfee, many of the most harmful malware attacks exploit vulnerabilities in common applications, such as operating systems and browsers.
10. Turn off Bluetooth connectivity.
Minimizing your Bluetooth while traveling reduces your exposure to vulnerabilities. Without strong cryptographic authentication controls, malicious third parties can use Bluetooth to connect to a device they shouldn't have access to or trick targets into believing their device is trustworthy.
11. If you are traveling abroad, know your rights and local laws.
If border guards request access to your laptop's digital contents, you may have no choice but to agree to it. Plan ahead and learn your rights in the country you're visiting and what rights that country may have over your data, as local privacy rights and your federally protected rights as a citizen of your home country disappear once you reach the border.
