Security-Conscious Travel Is the New Trend: Here’s How to Do It
Travelers’ main safety concerns used to be pickpockets and arriving at the right hostel safe and sound after a wild night. Now we’re always connected, and many more of us are braving the digital nomad lifestyle. In times like these, considering your digital safety while abroad is becoming prudent.
What digital risks do travelers face, exactly? More importantly, how can you recognize and avoid them? Here’s everything to keep in mind to make your next trip more cyber secure.
Public Wi-Fi Risks
The internet has become a core travel necessity for vacationers and digital nomads alike, and Wi-Fi offers the easiest access. Travelers are typically rushed and distracted when seeking it out, so they’ll settle for the public Wi-Fi at the airport or in a café or coworking space. Add to that how easy it is to impersonate or monitor public Wi-Fi, and it becomes clear why it’s one of the most widespread travel-related cybersecurity risks.
Using a dependable VPN is enough to stay safe. The VPN creates an encrypted tunnel around the connection, which prevents snooping. Attackers can no longer monitor what you’re doing online or redirect you to fake, harmful copies of legitimate websites. That way, you get to browse with your safety and privacy intact.
That said, go with reputable providers, as not all VPNs can be trusted. Although expect higher prices from premium services — they aren’t cheap. If you don’t want to cut into your travel budget but still want to use a premium service, then take a look at discount offers like NordVPN coupons. Such deals bring the costs down quite a lot, so you don’t have to worry about the expense.
Account Compromise
Travel preparations come with a lot of digital buzz. You’re creating accounts for ticket price trackers, itinerary planning apps, and other services that may or may not take protecting user information seriously. Suddenly, you’re not only bombarded with confirmation and promotional messages, but also by phishing emails and social engineering attacks as well. These aim to trick you into revealing login information and may result in account theft.
Only sign up for travel-related services with good reputations that haven’t been involved in incidents like large-scale data breaches. Use a password manager to give each account a strong and unique password, and add two-factor authentication for extra security. Treat unexpected urgent messages with suspicion, especially if they come with suspicious-looking attachments or links.
Device Theft
Before they became smart, getting your mobile phone stolen on vacation was “only” a hassle. Now our professional and personal lives are intertwined with the apps and information stored and accessible through our phones. This makes theft a major security risk.
Device safety starts before the trip. Turning on location tracking and remote wipes improves chances of recovery while protecting your sensitive data. Meanwhile, setting short autolock times and switching from PINs to biometrics will make it much harder to get into the device.
Location Exposure
Using devices normally while traveling exposes much more data than we realize. Individually, weather apps asking for location permissions or always-on Wi-Fi that constantly scans for connections don’t seem like much. But if enough sources are active, it’s possible to get a surprisingly detailed account of your whereabouts.
Posting geo-tagged pictures to social media while abroad is another bad idea. Not only are you advertising your location, you’re telling burglars you’re not home. Post such content after the fact, disable automatic Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, and review app permissions to minimize generated location data.
SIM-Related Scams
Scammers increasingly target travelers through their need for mobile connectivity. They know that some people will look for a local SIM as soon as they land and may set up fake kiosks that sell them. The SIMs might be stolen, sold at a ridiculous markup, or not have as much money on them as claimed. Worse yet, since you need to provide your passport to get a physical SIM in some countries, your personal data can be stolen and used for identity theft and other crimes.
Luckily, eSIMs are a better alternative. Activating one gives you the same connectivity and internet access as using a local physical SIM would. There are no kiosks to hunt down or physical cards to swap out, and you get to keep your number. eSIMs are also much more convenient for visiting multiple countries. A single regional plan lets you stay connected as you travel with no extra steps.
Unsafe Browsing Habits
Careless browsing behavior extends beyond public Wi-Fi use. People on vacation are more likely to download potentially dangerous local apps or follow links they find on QR codes out in the open.
Not connecting to random networks or falling for local “special offers” is just good common sense. Avoid logging into sensitive accounts when on vacation or secure the connection with a VPN when working. You’ll also want to keep browsers and the devices you use them on updated to protect them from known threats.
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