The holidays are an exciting time for many reasons. Whether you’re looking forward to visiting family or even just having a little extra time off from work, you may be traveling more than usual this time of year. Nothing will ruin the holidays more than having your data stolen, so wherever you may be traveling, it is important to remain aware of your data security. While on the road, even just remembering a few helpful tips can help make the difference in keeping your information secure.
Make Travel Arrangements and Purchases from Secure Sites
During the holidays we see a pretty substantial increase in the number of purchases that are made and in our digital age, many of these purchases take place online. Whether you are buying gifts or booking holiday plans, always ensure that you are using secure websites. Always try and make transactions through the company’s official website and be sure to check for the “HTTPS” in the URL as this designates a site’s security.
Enable Security Features on Devices When Traveling
While we recommend always having the security features of your mobile devices activated, if you choose not to, we strongly recommend it while traveling for the holidays. If for whatever reason any of your devices were lost or stolen, with a passcode or PIN activated your devices will have an additional layer of protection from those who may want to steal information.
Deactivate Automatic Bluetooth Pairing
Automatic Bluetooth connectivity is a feature meant to deliver ease and convenience to users. While this feature is great when you are pairing your devices in your private day-to-day routine, it can be a security threat when you are traveling. Whenever you travel, be sure to turn off your automatic Bluetooth connectivity so that others are not able to pick up the signal and gain access to your device.
Stick to Secure Networks
When traveling a good rule of thumb is to avoid connecting your device to any public networks. Especially important if you will be traveling out of the United States where specific regulations on Wi-Fi networks are not in place, avoid connecting to any network that isn’t password protected. If you need to connect to a network, try to only connect to the internet at places like your hotel where the connections will be more secure.
Regularly Check Accounts
While traveling, it can be beneficial to get in the habit of checking your sensitive information before leaving for the day and upon returning to wherever you will be staying. Being able to quickly identify any fraudulent activity can make all the difference when it comes to protecting your data while traveling. And remember, don’t forget to log out of your account each time after you check your information.
Leave Devices in a Secure Location
Chances are you probably won’t need every device that you bring while you’re out and about on your vacation. When leaving for the day, be sure that you leave any devices that you won’t need in a secure location that is out of sight, such as a hotel safe. Whether it’s a laptop, a smartwatch, or a USB drive, ensure that they are stored and secured instead of left lying around.
Enjoy Your Travels
Your vacation is meant to be a time to relax and enjoy yourself. While data security is important, you shouldn’t spend every second of your travels stressing over whether or not someone may be accessing your data. Keeping these simple tips in mind, and a little preventative action from Aliado Solutions can help make all the difference and give you the peace of mind you deserve while traveling. Contact us today and discover what we can do to help you keep your data tightly secured!
