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Travelling in the 21st century means investing in digital security. Trust me – you don’t want to wait until your first big security breach abroad to realise how important it is to protect your data.
But, like most digital nomads, cybersecurity didn’t come naturally to me. It was something I had to learn on my own, relying on digital resources and guides to help develop my cybersecurity strategies.
To help other full-time travellers like me, I’ve put together my own guide. Read on to unearth all my tried and tested tips for travelling safely while still staying connected.
Secure your devices with up-to-date malware protection
When travelling, you may rely on your devices for work and personal use. This means you have sensitive work or personal data that is vulnerable to theft or hacks if not adequately secured. You may be visiting new and unfamiliar websites and accessing new Wi-Fi networks on a daily basis. Sadly, opportunistic hackers often target unsecured websites and public Wi-Fi networks.
The easiest and most effective way to ensure safe browsing while on the go is by using malware protection. This cybersecurity measure will help protect your device from threats while browsing online. With your malware protection scanning websites and files as you use your device, you can detect malware before it’s too late.
Your malware protection should also be updated regularly. This is to make sure that your antivirus software has all the latest information and security processes to detect and respond to malware.
You should also keep your operating systems up-to-date with the latest security patches. These should come free with your device and are an easy way to keep them safe when travelling.
Protect your online accounts with strong passwords & MFA
You can also secure your devices by setting strong passwords and passcodes. Set 100% unique passwords to reduce the risk of a single compromised password leading to multiple account breaches.
Consider using a secure password manager to generate and store complex passwords. Password managers securely store and autofill passwords for your accounts. Reputable password managers should also have strong encryption features and other offerings like password auditing. This will identify weak or reused passwords across your accounts.
You should also enable biometric authentication to prevent having to remember complicated passwords. For accounts that don’t have biometric authentication features, consider implementing another form of multifactor authentication (MFA). This may take the form of a verification request notification sent to a mobile device or a code sent to your email.
Yes, providing another form of authentication when accessing your own accounts can be annoying. But the extra seconds spent typing in a verification code don’t hold a candle to the thousands of dollars that people lose to cyber scams every year.
Stay vigilant against phishing attacks
Only your family, friends, bank, and travel insurance provider should know where you’re going and how long you’ll be away. If you receive emails or texts that have information they shouldn’t have, question their source, especially if they’re asking for money.
So before you embark on your adventure, consider familiarising yourself with all the tell-tale signs of a phishing scam. This is to ensure you don’t experience financial loss from a phishing attack during your time abroad.
Phishing attacks often use emails, messages or websites to trick users into revealing sensitive information. You should be wary of these common red flags:
- requests for personal or financial information,
- messages demanding urgent action, and
- messages that contain suspicious links.
You should also verify the sender’s identity before engaging with messages. Start by identifying the sender’s email address, phone number and domain name (i.e. their website). Check for inconsistencies or signs of impersonation in their details. This can include spelling mistakes, poor image/logo resolution, and other signs of poor attention to detail.
If you think you’ve experienced a phishing attack, contact the company using the details provided on their official website. In most cases, double-checking can easily confirm the request’s legitimacy at no risk to you.
Safeguard your browsing data with a VPN
Encrypting sensitive files and communications is crucial to safeguard your data as you travel. This is especially vital for any device users who are using public or hotel Wi-Fi networks while relying on roaming data. Thankfully, there are many ways you can safeguard your device data as you access the web overseas.
For instance, you can utilise encryption tools or secure messaging apps that have end-to-end encryption. This can offer added security when messaging friends from another state or country. When choosing email services, you can find ones with more robust security features. Encrypted email services or tools will ensure the confidentiality of sensitive information.
One of the best methods for safeguarding your data online is to use a VPN. VPNs (or ‘virtual private networks’) allow device users to maintain an encrypted network connection. This encrypted connection helps obscure personal and device data, like your IP address and information about your web browsing sessions.
Be sure to also look into VPN laws at your travel destination. This is because some countries ban or restrict VPN usage.
Some Final Thoughts
Feeling safe is vital for minimising excuses not to follow through with travel plans. And nobody wants to call off a holiday or business trip because of digital security concerns. But with these measures in place, you can safeguard your personal and device data with ease.
So start setting up your VPNs, antivirus software, and other cybersecurity measures today. With the right measures in place, you can feel confident as you travel.
