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Get the best cybersecurity tips for travelers

Most of us, with more or less frequency throughout the year, make a trip. When traveling we also want to preserve the security and privacy of our data. When packing our luggage, it is not surprising that we include our smartphone, a laptop or other electronic device. However, we must bear in mind that using this type of equipment at home or in the office is not the same as using it outside of it. In this article we are going to know the best cybersecurity tips for travelers.

Why do you have to be careful when traveling?

Whether we are a frequent or occasional traveler, we must know how to protect our data. When we are away from our trusted networks we end up accessing unknown Wi-Fi hotspots and going to new places. At such times we must be very careful, as we can be vulnerable to attacks by cybercriminals. Therefore, before and during our trip, on vacation or for work, we must adopt these cybersecurity tips for travelers.

Public Wi-Fi, one of the great dangers

Without a doubt, we have to be careful when using free public Wi-Fi and more if it is not protected by a password. When we connect to a Wi-Fi network without a password, our device sends information over that network without encryption. This means that anyone with the right technical knowledge can easily read and track the information that goes between our computer and the router. For that reason, a good cybersecurity tip for travelers is to use a secure network or connect with our mobile data. One option could be to rent a Wi-Fi hotspot like the ones we have available at international airports for travelers.

On the other hand, if we have no choice but to connect to an unsecured Wi-Fi network, we will use a VPN. The reason is that our data is like traveling through a tunnel safe from prying eyes and cybercriminals thanks to the encryption that VPNs have. You may be interested in knowing why our VPN is slow and how we can fix it.

On the other hand, we must prevent devices from automatically connecting to a Wi-Fi network. For example, if we go back near that wireless network, it could reconnect and end up stealing our data. At that time we must bear in mind that we probably do not have the VPN activated to be safe.

protect devices

If our devices are stolen, it can be a significant threat to cybersecurity. Our computer, tablet or smartphone contain a lot of confidential information. Good cybersecurity advice for travelers is keep our devices on or in our hotel room so they are safe.

Also, before going anywhere, do your research to find out which scams to avoid. Tourists are one of the favorite targets of criminals. In that aspect we should not take our devices out in unsafe public spaces.

Anti virus and updates

Good cybersecurity advice for travelers is have an antivirus and, if possible, antimalware software on our devices since it is a very important line of defense that we must have. Thus, in the hypothetical case that we inadvertently connect to an infected network or download an infected file, we would still have the chance to protect our computers against malware. You may be interested in knowing how to remove malware with Windows Defender.

On the other hand, our operating system of all devices must have the latest updates. If we do not do so, cybercriminals could take advantage of vulnerabilities to steal our confidential information.

Backups and public PCs

A very important danger when traveling is that we lose a device or it is stolen. The price of losing a smartphone or laptop can be high, but losing the data they contain can often be more damaging. Therefore, a good cybersecurity advice for travelers would be make a backup of our data before traveling. Also, it would be good idea that our essential files were in a cloud service.

Some hotels offer public PCs that we can use These types of computers only we should use them in case of emergency. If necessary after use, we will immediately change the passwords of our accounts using another device, such as our smartphone. The reason is that we don’t know if they are infected with malware or if they have some kind of keylogger.

If we follow these cybersecurity tips for travelers, we will have a better chance of returning home safely.

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