When you’re out and about, particularly when you’re traveling, it may be very tempting to connect to public Wi-Fi networks. However, these public networks are often unsecured, making them vulnerable to hacking and data theft. While you don’t need to abandon internet surfing and email, you must be aware of how to improve your online security and privacy, as well as the additional measures you should take while traveling.
Here are five travel-related recommendations for internet security and privacy:
Make use of the screen lock option
When traveling, there are so many things to do, see, and think about that it’s easy to lose track of important items such as phones. Unfortunately, when traveling, electronic goods such as tablets may also be stolen, since tourist hotspots are popular targets for criminals. As a result, always lock your device while not in use to guarantee that your sensitive data remains secure.
Public Wi-Fi is just that: public.
Bear in mind that public Wi-Fi is often unsecured, or at the very least insecure. As a result, while connecting to public networks such as those found in hotels, restaurants, and airports, you must exercise extreme caution about the websites to which you connect. Hackers may readily obtain your data over public networks, particularly if you enter it into their bogus website!
Disable geotagging and geolocation
Social networking applications such as Facebook utilize “geo-tagging” to indicate your location when you share anything. This may seem beneficial, but it also informs cyber thieves and marketers of your location, putting you in danger of spam and even hacking. Turning off your tagging feature takes more than just turning off your GPS, and the only secure method to avoid such location capabilities is to fully turn off the phone.
Public computers are untrustworthy
Public computers may be compromised by harmful “spy” software and hardware such as malware, putting you at risk of data loss. This has occurred before and may occur at any moment. Therefore, if you opt to use a public computer, avoid visiting dangerous websites or those that require secure information, such as bank websites.
Utilize a VPN to add an additional layer of protection
Utilizing a VPN provides an additional layer of security and may be an excellent method to keep your private information from becoming public. VPNs are used by a large number of companies to allow workers to continue working securely, whether at home or on the road. VPNs encrypt your identity and data.