Technology can add many conveniences to travel: you can check into your flight via smartphone, make last-minute reservations for restaurants or local attractions, take hundreds of photos to commemorate your trip, and even get a little help navigating an unfamiliar city. However, when packing and planning for a vacation, how often do you think of mobile device security? Between picking out the perfect bikini, and loading up all of your ski gear, mobile security is probably the last thing on your mind, but it should be the first. We live so much of our lives through our devices these days; they’re a repository of everything that is you, and you don’t want that information falling into the wrong hands.
We’ve created a digital to-do list for your spring break to help strengthen the security of your mobile devices for your spring break adventures.
1. Device Security
Before you leave for your trip, it’s a good idea to set up some stronger security on your devices. To avoid prying eyes under any circumstance, lock your device with a passcode, and install Internet security software such as Norton Security with Backup, that will allow you to lock the a device when missing, backup data and even remotely wipe the data off of the device should it become lost or stolen.
2. Physical Device Safety
When traveling, it’s difficult to keep track of everything, especially if you have both checked and carry-on luggage. To avoid the nightmare of dealing with lost or delayed tech, it’s a good idea to bring your devices with you on your carry-on, so you can keep an eye on them at all times.
If you’re staying in a hotel, put the devices that you won’t be using away when you leave. If possible, bring a locking suitcase that you can store your devices in, so they’re out of sight from hotel staff. There are hotel safes in the rooms, but they are easy to crack, and hotel staff still has the ability to open it. Many employees have access to your room during your stay, so just to be on the safe side, hide all the shiny things from curious eyes.
3. Safely Connecting To The Internet
Most public Wi-Fi and public hotspots (including hotel Wi-Fi) are notoriously unsecure, which makes them a lucrative target for cyber criminals. Unsecured Wi-Fi can leave you vulnerable to MitM attacks, which is a means of spying on your Internet activity. Cybercriminals using this tactic can capture anything you type, such as login credentials to websites, credit card and debit card numbers and any other personal information.
If feasible, consider picking up a personal mobile Wi-Fi hotspot from your mobile provider. This can provide you with a secure Internet connection, and since these devices are small, you can bring them with you anywhere on your adventures.
If you must use an unsecured Wi-Fi network, only use it for topical reasons, such as looking up directions, or uploading photos. Never check any of your online banking or financial accounts on these connections. If you do not have access to a secure Internet connection and need to do access your bank account, call the customer service number of your bank instead.
4. Device Settings, Data, and Roaming
Be sure to turn off the setting to automatically connect to open Wi-Fi networks. If this feature is on, and you are near an open network, your phone will automatically connect to it, and leave you vulnerable to attacks. Additionally, be sure to turn off Bluetooth when not in use, as that is also an open connection to your phone. As an added bonus to turning off these features, you will get more battery life out of your device as they can be resource hogs.
If traveling overseas, check with your carrier about roaming charges, which enables your phone to use overseas networks to send and receive data at an extremely high cost. If you plan on using your phone frequently while overseas, check with your provider to see if they offer other, more affordable options for travel.
5. Data and Photo Backup
While the device itself is easy to replace, the data on it is not, and some of it is irreplaceable. This is where a solid backup plan comes into play. If you’ve brought a computer with you, try to back up your smartphone to it on a daily basis. If you do not have a computer with you, you can look into cloud backup services for your phone. If using a camera, try to offload the photos onto a computer every day. Again, if you do not have access to a computer, you can look into SD cards that have wireless capabilities and can upload your photos directly to cloud services.
6. Social Media Safety While Traveling
Spring break can be a crazy fun time for people, and along with that crazy fun can come crazy fun photos. On Facebook, you can have the option to approve all photos you’re tagged in, and if anything unflattering pops up, you’ll have to approve the tag before it is shown on your page.
Additionally, nothing screams “I’m nowhere near my home, come steal all my stuff!” like a public social media account with vacation photos popping up in real time. Criminals can gain a lot of information about you from a public social media profile such as your name, date of birth, the town you live in and more. It would be a good idea to check and make sure your social account settings are set to only allow trusted individuals to see what you’re posting.
Most of these tips you can do before your trip, which will allow you to concentrate on the most important thing- getting the most out of your spring break!