Bonjour lecteurs! Do you love travelling with your family? But digital safety is not necessarily une top priorité? It’s easy to forget it all when you are off somewhere exotic and sunny. While you are away, you still need some digital tools to be safe while exploring new destinations. After all, travellers are a top target for cybercriminals. To make sure you only come home with fabulous memories and not extra worries, here are some digital practices when you travel.
Secure Your Devices
Good cybersecurity practices begin well before you set foot in a different country. First of all, you need to prepare your devices that you will take with you on your travels.
Start by backing up important data to external hard drives or cloud services. This way, you have a safety net in place in case something were to happen to your devices.
Once all done, focus on specific security features. Make sure you set strong passwords for each of your devices and online accounts. Par exemple, use biometric authentication and enable your device tracking features. Un autre point important? Since travel increases the risk of malware, phishing, and other cyber threats, you should adjust your privacy settings and even change some passwords when you are back home.
If you forget to do it, search instead for a reliable password manager, a software tool that creates strong and intricate passwords for the sites you use. It will keep attackers from logging into your accounts, even if one password leaks.
Avoid Public Wi-Fi
This is probablement la règle d’or or the golden rule. To be honnête, it’s something you should do anytime you are out and about, even when you are in the UK.
Avoid connections to public Wi-Fi and only using secure networks, especially when you share sensitive information, such as logging in to your banking apps or purchasing things online. I know it’s very convenient, but it’s always a risk. Did you know? Most of these free networks have very poor security as they lack encryption?
So they are easier for hackers to get in and gain access to sensitive data such as browsing history, login credentials, emails, and financial information. This is actually a common practice known as man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks. For this raison, you should steer clear of public Wi-Fi as much as possible, and only ever use these networks for non-sensitive activities like running a quick search on Google to research local attractions.
Use a VPN
Virtual private networks (VPNs) are a great way to protect yourself when you are traveling. Basically, they act as a shield against potential digital threats by encrypting your internet connection and preventing attackers from eavesdropping on your online activity. It’s not only useful in the movie when the bad guys want to hide from the government, LOL.
Par exemple, if you have no choice but to connect to an unsecured public Wi-Fi in airports, hotels, restaurants, using a VPN service addresses the security risks mentioned earlier. It’s the safest way to browse the internet without a care in the world.
En plus, VPNs can also help you bypass geographic restrictions, since they hide your real IP address. This way, you can access content that might not be available in the country you’re visiting. It’s also a great way to find better deals as it can be cheaper in different zones. Booking Eurostar tickets via the French website is always cheaper than on the UK website for me…
Use Your Common Sense
Finalement, just use your common sense to avoid any problems. Trust your gut. Stay alert and pay attention to the people around you and your surroundings in general while using your electronic devices.
You don’t need to be un expert en cybersecurité to know that you shouldn’t leave your devices unattended. I always log out of websites, especially when I use a shared device.
Digital safety practices when you travel are a must. I know it’s easy to just want to chill and not think about it. But it’s un aspect important when you’re traveling. It’s this time that cyber attackers tend to strike often because we are more fragile, especially when abroad. So keep an eye open when you use your devices and take the minimum precautions before you even jet off to a fabulous holiday. Don’t let criminals get their hands on your data. Prioritise cybersecurity when traveling and enjoy your holidays bien sûr!
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