Having to call your bank while traveling is the last thing you want to deal with on vacation, so protecting everything from your Facebook information to your passwords is clutch. We know to reduce risks by not jailbreaking our phones and are all waiting patiently for that sci-fi worthy quantum internet, but Bill Carey, VP of Marketing at password-security company RoboForm, says we should be doing more. Here are his tips for warding off potential hackers and keeping your personal information secure while on the road.
Bill advises us to be particular with our web usage. He says, “The two most common ways to expose your personal data while traveling are to use public WiFi or public computers. In general, I’d avoid these two options when other options are available. If those are your only options, then be sure never to log in to secure sites and risk exposure of your passwords.”
As for other options, we’re excited about the latest in VPN (virtual private network) security with the Opera app. Bill encourages the use of these. “While still not commonplace, using a VPN service is becoming more popular because costs are decreasing and VPNs are becoming easier to use. When you enlist the help of a VPN service, all your communications are encrypted, which makes them unreadable to the outside world.”
He also explains that the seemingly innocuous “Free WiFi” network should be avoided at all costs. “Security can be an issue, as it’s fairly simple to set up a fake network, name it something generic like “Free WiFi” and make us travelers think it’s free access to the Internet. Never use public Wi-Fi to log into secure accounts and risk exposing your usernames and passwords.”
Although most of us are aware of these tips, actually doing them when we really want to check our emails can be a struggle. That’s why Bill says it’s imperative to be vigilant. Hackers know we have a weakness for refreshing our newsfeeds. Taking ourselves away from the screen and engaging in our travels is always a safe — and fun! — option too.
How do you protect yourself from cybercrime while traveling? Let us know your tricks @BritandCo.
(Photos via Getty)
