We’re all excited to travel to see friends and family this holiday season. Before you set off on your trips however, take a second to secure your network and devices. Cybercriminals don’t take vacations. In fact, they use the holiday season as a prime time to prey. Here are some tips for staying cyber safe during the holiday season and while traveling!
Keep your data safe during travel with these tips:
- Be cautious of public Wi-Fi. Free Wi-Fi can leave your devices very vulnerable to security issues, especially outside the U.S., where cyber laws may not be as robust. In addition, ask hotels and lodging about their security protocol before connecting to their complimentary Wi-Fi. Cybercriminals use this avenue to steal sensitive information quickly and corrupt your accounts.
- Ensure your first line of defense (lock securities) for every device is strong. Double check that security features and passcodes are enabled before leaving on your trip. If a device is misplaced, these lock settings are your first protection against a security breach.
- When in a public space, never leave your laptop open, regardless of if a family member or friend is keeping watch. The safe practice is to close and lock your devices.
- Disable Auto-Connect for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. This will help you avoid any unwanted connections, inhibiting someone from hacking your device.
- Keep an eye on your accounts regularly. The quicker you see a discrepancy on your account, the faster and easier it will be to handle.
- Before traveling, confirm you have the most updated operating systems running on your devices as well as current anti-virus protection installed.
- Avoid posting when and for how long you will be traveling away from your home on public social media. Keeping information like this private can help deter home theft. In addition, it is wise to minimize location sharing to further limit the knowledge a criminal may have on your whereabouts.
Now you’re ready for safe travels. Have questions regarding security of your personal data? Drop us a line at Solutions@TheTek.com
