Safety of your digital information is in your hand. With simple precautions and attention, you can easily avert a major data breach, identity theft and most importantly your peace of mind.
Internet communication has become an integral part of our very existence. When a person thinks of travel, he/she tends to step up their activity in social media and wants to be active and available almost all the time. Now days the need is not just personal but also by high demining office and financial responsibilities.
Safeguard Personal Information over Internet
While you’re on move, you may want to check your online banking / credit-card statements, pay bills and other personal-finance tasks. If it is not a top requirement, Internet security experts advise against accessing these sites entirely while traveling. You should try not to logging in to personal financial sites on a public shared computer. Even if you’re using your own device at a password-protected hotspot, any hacker who’s logged on to the same network may be able to intercept your data and see your web activities. If it is critical and you need to access banking information, it’s always good to do so on a hard-wired connection i.e. Ethernet cable. Otherwise, try to log in via a cellular network, which is safer than any Wi-Fi connection.
Password habits are also critical. Don’t use individual dictionary words, don’t reuse passwords across different sites and use a “passphrase” — the longer your password, less likely to be cracked. It’s also important to be careful when emailing personal information. Don’t send your credit-card details in one message, split the details in two separate email.
Traveling with Your Own Device
When you take your personal devices while travelling, you should be careful about theft and damages. You should also configure them for maximum security so that if they are stolen, your personal data will stay private.
Always check that you’re running the latest version of your device’s operating system and security software. Consider tightening your security settings. At the very least, make sure your device is password- or passcode-protected so thieves can’t access your information if it’s stolen. You should also consider decreasing the time it takes for the screen to lock when not in use — I know it will be annoying to do an extra step every time but that’s not nearly as annoying as identity theft. It’s always a good practice to implement an extra layer of security, you may also consider Multi-Level verification e.g. validating keys via Text Mgs or email.
File sharing is the most convenient way of data collaboration. Most of the system has file-sharing option. Though this setting is likely turned off by default, but it’s always wise to check that this option is not activated on your computer so that people sharing a Wi-Fi network with you can’t access your files. Now days Newer versions of Windows and other OS have a “Public network” setting, selecting this Wi-Fi profile will automatically implement maximum default security making your computer less vulnerable to hacking and virus infections.
Once on the road, use only authentic Wi-Fi hotspots. Ask the hotel / Wi-Fi provider for the specific name of their network, and make sure you log on to that exact one. Hackers sometimes create bogus hotspots with a similar or vague name which closely resembles to the business or place when you think you are going to connect. If you’re not actively using a hotspot, turn off Wi-Fi so that your device is not visible to others.
Using Public Computers
Public computers are safe and useful as long as that don’t require you to log in to an account. Checking train schedules, maps, or museum hours doesn’t pose a security risk. The danger lies in accessing personal accounts that require you to enter a login and password.
If you’re traveling with your own device, make sure that’s the only device you are going to use to access your personal accounts, but if you’ll be relying on public computers or Internet cafes, there could be a good chance that computer may be loaded with damaging malware, spyware or key-logger programs that creates a carbon copy of what you’re typing — including passwords. If circumstances require you to access personal accounts on a public computer, make sure that the Web browser doesn’t cache up and store your login information. Also, its recommended when using google chrome, open browser in “incognito” or “private” browser mode. Make sure to unclick any box that Always says, “stay signed in” or “remember me.” It’s also a good idea to clear the Internet browser’s cache, history, and cookies after you’re done, especially if you’ve accessed sensitive.
While you shouldn’t be paranoid about your computer usage while traveling, if you’re too careless with your digital information there’s a very good chance you open the door to significant trouble. Be cautious and browse safe!!