June means school’s out and family trips are in. In fact, nearly two thirds of American families will head out of town this summer.
Theme parks, cruises and international travel top the 2019 summer travel list. As everyone knows, no matter where you’re headed, being continuously connected is part of the plan. While having family fun is the goal, the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) also urges travelers to be cyber safe while away from home by following some simple practices to help keep your devices safe and your vacation plans from going awry.
“No matter how you get to your destination or where you choose to stay, you will still be connected when you’re on vacation. When traveling, you rely on technology even more to enhance your experience. Simple practices like exercising care when using public Wi-Fi and enabling security features to protect and find your devices can make all the difference in the world.”
Kelvin Coleman, Executive Director, National Cyber Security Alliance
What should you do? Here are some tried and true tips that will help keep you safe and secure:
Enable Security Features to Protect and “Find My Phone”: Misplacing or having your devices stolen can put a damper on vacation plans. It can easily happen to anyone.
What should you do?
- Set up the “find my phone” feature on your devices. This will allow you to find, remotely wipe data and/or disable the device if it gets into the wrong hands.
- Make sure all devices are password protected. Use a passcode or security feature (like a finger swipe) to lock your phone or mobile device in case either are misplaced or stolen.
Get Wise About Public Wi-Fi: Using public Wi-Fi at the airport or hotel is very convenient, but public wireless networks and hotspots are not secure. This means that anyone using the same Wi-Fi network could potentially see what you are doing on your laptop or smartphone while you are connected.
What should you do?
- Limit what you do on public Wi-Fi and avoid logging in to accounts that have sensitive information such as banking and email.
- Consider using a trusted virtual private network (VPN) or a personal/mobile hotspot if you need a more secure connection.
- Set your device settings to ask permission before connecting to a Wi-Fi network.
It is important to remember that laptops, phones and tablets should never be left unattended. Ensure your devices are with you at all times. If you are staying in a hotel, the best thing to do is lock them in a safe. If a safe is not available, lock them in your luggage. And, while family fun is the goal, a recent study indicates that 92 percent of respondents admit to doing some work on dedicated leisure vacations. If you visit the hotel’s business center, avoid using public equipment – such as phones, computers and fax machines – for sensitive communication.
NCSA wishes everyone a cybersafe summer!
Be in the know all yearlong about how to secure your continuously connected life by signing up for NCSA’s newsletters.
Additional Resources
Raytheon Company: Whether traveling domestically or internationally, for business or for pleasure, your online identity is at risk. In this video, we share security best practices you should adopt while traveling.
Symantec: Security awareness isn’t limited to the workplace! Symantec’s Security Awareness Quick Tip videos have invaluable information for your friends and family! Talk to your friends and family about the risks associated with their actions at work, home and school whether online or not.
- 5 Security Tips for Working Remotely from Home
- How to Keep Your Kids Safe Online
- Don’t Let Your Social Network Profile Get Hacked!
- How to spot a bogus URL!
- How to reveal the true hidden destination behind a web link!
- How to Prevent Your Data from Getting Leaked!
U.S. Bank: Visit our mobile security site to get tips on how to stay secure if your smartphone is lost or stolen, how to password-protect your smartphone and other tips for keeping your smartphone safe.