When planning a trip, security should be a top priority. This includes securing yourself, your belongings, and your documents—so why not protect your data too? Mobile data is essential when travelling, whether for translation, navigation, or finding the nearest restaurant or beach. A reliable internet connection is a must-have travel companion. Our article on phone safety offers personal measures to safeguard your phone while travelling.
How to Ensure Data Safety Travel?
1 Turn Off Location Information
To protect your privacy, turn off location tracking on apps and services unless you need navigation help. Sharing your location can alert potential thieves that your home is empty. For the same reason, avoid posting real-time vacation updates or photos on social media.
Always check if apps access your location unnecessarily. If they do, disable location sharing or delete these apps to ensure your privacy. Also, to protect data overseas, you need to be able to identify surveillance. By the way, here are ways to know if someone is tracking your phone by indirect signs. Also, many types of cyber threats can be eliminated by using a VPN app. This is especially important if you plan to connect to public Wi-Fi networks while travelling.
2 Use a Password Manager
Whether you’re on a business trip or working from a vacation spot, you’ll likely need to make online reservations. Using a password manager can help. It generates strong, unique passwords that are difficult for hackers to guess and saves them for you. This way, you can easily access your favorite websites without the hassle of remembering multiple passwords.
3 Stop Auto-Connecting
Smartphones have become essential tools for finding directions, storing photos, and sharing music, among many other functions. However, this also means that our smartphones automatically connect to many programs that are widely accessible, particularly to those within close proximity.
When travelling, remember to instruct all your apps and operating systems to stop auto-connecting and select “forget network” for any external networks that you’re connected to while you are travelling. For instance, many travelers connect their smartphones to rental cars using Bluetooth. This means that your information is stored on the vehicle’s system. Be sure to delete any stored data and remove your device from the rental car’s paired device list.
4 Get a VPN
Connecting to public WiFi can expose you to cybercriminals and various threats, like man-in-the-middle attacks and malware. To stay safe, consider using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) before leaving home. A VPN secures the connection between your device and the internet.
If your work doesn’t provide one, you can usually get a VPN for under $10 a month—many even cost less than $5. Even top VPNs, like VeePN, only cost a few dollars a month if you buy an annual subscription. It’s a small price to pay for security and freedom on the internet.
5 Don’t Leave Your Devices Unattended
Considering we now carry our whole lives on our devices—identity information, contacts, banking logins, and more—it’s essential not to leave your devices unattended in public. Keep them tucked away, with both screen locks and mobile security activated. Also, avoid loaning your devices to strangers to make a phone call or look something up, as this could be a scam.
6 Use Two-Factor Authentication
Use two-factor authentication for as many online services as possible. This method combines something you know (like a password) and something you have (an SMS message, phone, fingerprint scanner, or special app) to create single-use passwords. Even if your account information is stolen, nobody else can use it to log in.
SMS-based authentication systems can be a problem for travellers, especially if your phone doesn’t work overseas. Consider other options like the Google Authenticator app for your phone or tablet.
7 Use Incognito Browsing Mode
Be sure to log out of all the apps you use and reboot the computer when you’re finished with it just to be safe.
8 Backup Your Data
Backing up your data while travelling might not be the most exciting task, but it’s crucial—especially when you risk losing thousands of photos from your trip.
Laptops can get stolen, hard drives can fail, phones might take an accidental dip, and memory cards can become corrupted. Bad things happen, and you need to be prepared. While travel insurance can help cover the cost of replacing items, it won’t recover your lost photos or data.
As the old saying goes, “Data stored in one place doesn’t really exist.” For travellers, this means copying new files to a different device as soon as possible and uploading them online shortly after.
There are various methods to back up your data depending on the gear you travel with and your specific needs. Let’s explore a few common scenarios and how to best prepare for them.
Final Words
You can stay safe online even when you’re travelling for work. By following these guidelines, you reduce the risks associated with doing business on the go. The peace of mind for you (and your employer) is well worth the effort. Put that tray table up, sit back, relax, and leave the bad guys on the tarmac!
All images: freepik.com
Presented by VeePN – Safeguarding Your Digital Life
