It's summer vacation time again and travelers are busy packing cell phones, tablets and other connected devices into their luggage along with sunscreen and books.
Please keep in mind that cyber criminals are waiting for you to go on vacation as well.
They troll social media sites to learn who is traveling and left their home unoccupied. They also tap public Wi-Fi networks to steal personal information, and even place bogus charging stations in public locations to load malware onto your electronics.
Here are some tips to help keep you safe while traveling, from our partners at the National Cyber Security Alliance and the Multi State Information Sharing and Analysis Center:
Lock down your login: Your usernames and passwords are not enough to protect key accounts like those you use for email, banking, and social media. Fortify your online security by turning on multi-factor authentication, commonly referred to as two-factor authentication, when available. This typically pairs your username and password with a message sent to your phone, or your fingerprint.
Password protect: Use a passcode or security feature like a finger swipe pattern or fingerprint to lock your mobile device. Also set your screen to lock after a short period of time by default. If you do choose to use a finger swipe, make sure it has at least one turn (preferably two) and that a pin code has at least 6 numbers.
Public Wi-Fi: Do not transmit personal information or make purchases on unsecure or public networks. Instead, use your phone carrier internet service for these needs. For laptops and tablets, it is easy to use your phone as a personal hotspot to surf more securely using carrier data. Also, never use a public computer or device to shop, log in to accounts, or do anything personal.
Turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth: When Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are on, they may connect and track your whereabouts. Only enable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when required, and disable your Wi-Fi auto-connect features.
Share with care: Think twice before posting pictures that signal you are out of town. Knowing you are away from home is a great piece of information for a criminal to have and they may target your home for physical crime. Also consider limiting your social media apps' access to location services on your device, and omit location information while making your posts and sharing your pictures.
Know your destination's laws: If you are heading out of the country, check up on any specific laws on internet and device usage. Additionally, bring as few devices as possible and consider using a device specifically purchased for international travel.
Protect your credit cards: Use RFID blocking sleeves or wallets to prevent skimming of account information from credit cards with embedded RFID chips.