If you are planning an overseas trip, you have not thought of online security yet. Perhaps you are more concerned about booking the best hotel room or the kind of places you’ll visit and the new foods you’ll try. Fair enough, but online security should be somewhere on your list.
To ensure your travel is fun and stress-free, we have rounded up some online security tips for your consideration. These tips will ensure you don’t get hacked while using public WIFI, but they will also help you store sensitive information safely and avoid potential physical security threats. Below are all you need to know.
Beef up your online security
Before traveling abroad, ensure you have packed only the essential devices you will be using. You also want to ensure every device is password protected, which means your sensitive data will remain safe if you lose your device. Another way to boost your online security is to consider setting up multi-factor authentication with your sensitive online accounts such as email, work software, bank accounts, etc.
Choose two-factor authentication apps that allow you to use multiple devices and those with an option to back up your account if you lose one or all your devices. Additionally, update your devices’ security features by installing the latest operating system or signing up with a premium anti-malware solution.
Do not tag your locations.
It’s okay to explore different places and sites and even take photos for future reference. The only problem comes when you share those photos on social media while exposing your current location. This may sound pretty normal in today’s social media world, but it’s a huge security risk.
To put this into perspective, imagine that you are updating everyone on the internet about where you are and what your travel plans are. The implication is that anyone can use this information to plot a crime where you could be the victim. If you have to post pictures and locations of your trip, wait until you get home or are out of the region you had visited.
Avoid public WI-FI
Everybody loves free WIFI since they are convenient and reliable. This is especially true when traveling to a new place where your cellular network could be unstable. However, most of these public hotspots are unencrypted, and your data could easily be stolen. Before connecting to a WIFI hotspot in your hotel room, ask the person in charge about the security protocols and whether it’s safe to connect your device to the network.
To be safer, use a virtual private network (VPN) service every time you access the internet. A VPN encrypts your internet traffic, making it unlikely that the attacker will even be interested in pursuing their motives. A great VPN provider will also provide an additional layer of protection by protecting your IP address, making your connection to any site private. If you don’t have access to a VPN service and do not consider getting one, use your provider’s cellular data and minimize internet usage when you don’t need it.
Monitor your critical online accounts
While you are away on your trip or holiday vacation, you will probably leave behind critical work devices, such as your desktop or PC. And even if you are traveling for work or are working remotely, chances are you have a backup work device at home. Your device at home should be as secure as the one you are using while traveling. If not, you risk having your critical work accounts compromised. A solution would be to monitor your online accounts remotely.
Check the user activity on your work and personal online accounts. Maybe someone just got access to your PC at home and began messing around with your sensitive data. An attacker may also get hold of your work email address and use the ample opportunity to complete their malicious intentions. A lot could happen while you are away, so you always want to spare some minutes every day to ensure everything is okay. Remember to use a secure network to access your online accounts to avoid further risks.
Consider storing your data in the cloud
Cloud offers a stress-free, cost-effective and secure way of storing your data. The kind of data you should keep in the cloud depends on the cloud architecture and the level of security it guarantees. If you are looking to store personal documents like photos taken during your vacation, the risk will be less than documents like your ID, passports, etc. Another important consideration is to avoid storing your sensitive passwords and keys online. If your cloud data is compromised, you can also ensure that the accounts linked to the passwords and keys are compromised.
Public vs. private clouds
Cloud computing services are categorized into two major types: public clouds and private clouds. Public clouds are offered by cloud providers such as Amazon and Google. They are used to service several clients, and due to their shared model, the cost of hosting data in public clouds is cheap. An example is Dropbox, which allows users to store a limited number of documents for free. When using a public cloud, ensure you have a backup if the account is compromised and data is lost. You can have a local backup on your computer/ flash disk or choose a different cloud provider such as Google Cloud as a backup option.
Unlike the public cloud, the private cloud is limited to only one company. Since the cloud resources aren’t shared, the costs are higher. The company using the private cloud is responsible for securing the cloud servers and safeguarding their information. The company is also the one to develop private cloud security and maintenance services whenever necessary. Unless you want to store company data or sensitive work documents while traveling, you are less likely to be using a private cloud.
Online security begins with you
There’s no better way to stay secure in the digital world than to be responsible for yourself and those around you. Traveling should be fun and adventurous, not risky and anxiety-provoking. Stick with the five tips we have highlighted above, and you’ll enjoy your overseas travel.
If you can properly consider the above-given things, then you can really strengthen your online security while you are on a trip.
