How To Protect Your Private Data While Travelling

Are you planning to travel to another place? Aside from securing your valuable items including your smartphone, tablet and laptop, it is important to protect your data privacy. These gadgets are often loaded with personal information such as passwords and bank account details. We are sure you don’t want anyone to get access to this data, so VroomVroomVroom has come up with a list of things you can do to prevent privacy invasion.

Tips on protecting your data privacy

Use secure Wi-Fi  

Most airports, malls, hotels, and cafes offer free Wi-Fi, but make sure to check if they have encryption enabled for their router before accessing it. After connecting to the Wi-Fi, it will direct you to a website where you need to click “connect” or sign up. It is also advisable to choose an establishment that provides a Wi-Fi password to their customers to prevent unauthorized persons from using their network.If you are planning to log in to an online account with sensitive information such as email or bank accounts, make sure to do it on a more secure connection. Use your phone’s mobile data via roaming or if that is not an option, utilize a VPN service to protect your personal details.

Turn off network sharing

If you ever use network sharing to share files with your friends and family on a private network, make sure to turn off the functionality when you go out in public. Your data and files are potentially vulnerable to prying eyes if others are able to discover your device, so make sure that you have disabled it when connecting to an untrusted network.

Turn off your device’s Wi-Fi

Having your phone’s Wi-Fi setting toggled on at all times can be convenient, but it also can be a security risk. Some hackers may use Wi-Fi spoofing techniques to trick your device into connecting to a trusted network, giving them access to your device’s online traffic and leaving your device vulnerable to an attack. If you keep your device’s internet on all the time, then make it a habit to turn it off when you are not using it.

Log out of public computers

If you decide to leave your laptop and instead go to an internet café or an Apple store to access the web, then make sure to always log out your account. There are some people who are in a hurry to leave so they just close the browser, but that is not enough. Some accounts keep you logged in and some websites automatically save the password so make sure to log out. It may also be better if you use the private browsing mode of the browser when using a public computer since it won’t save the websites you visited and it will ensure that your session is logged out after you have closed the browser window. Just Select “new incognito window” for Chrome and “new private window” for Firefox.

Turn on two-factor authentication for your accounts 

Most major online accounts nowadays let you setup phone-based verification that allows you to connect your phone to your account. The two-factor authentication provides an extra layer of security on your accounts since it will require a verification code sent to your phone before anyone can login to your account.  In case somebody manages to get access to your private password, you will get an SMS notification informing you that a person tried to log-in using an unfamiliar computer or phone.

Remove or update apps

Delete apps that you don’t really need or rarely use since some of these apps have a high security risk. For the remaining apps, it is advisable to update them since their new version are more likely to be secure. If you don’t have time or easily forget updating your apps, you can turn on the automatic updates for apps when on Wi-Fi.

Monitor your bank and credit card account

Tourists often end up becoming a victim of fraud that’s why it is important to monitor your financial statements all the time. After every purchase or transaction, check your credit card and bank account to see if you have been double-charged or made any additional purchases. However, make sure to use a secure internet connection when checking your account. There are some bank and credit card companies that notify their customers of any suspicious transactions, but you can also activate SMS notification for money withdrawals and purchases.

Use tracking apps for your devices

There are several anti-theft protection apps for devices that allow you to geo-locate the stolen device and even log-in remotely. One of the most popular app for Android devices is Where’s My Droid by Google (formerly known as Android Device Manager) since you can download this for free. Apple also has an anti-theft app called Find My iPhone.

We hope that these tips would help you feel more secured even when using your smartphone, tablet, laptop or even the public computer on your next trip. Do you have other tips on how you can protect your data when travelling? Please share them in the comment box below.