Cybersecurity When Travelling
These suggestions are tried and true. But in order to benefit from them you must be prepared to be vigilant.
6/30/20251 min read
I am always surprised when people take risks to book a vacation. All those phishing scams are geared towards people looking for vacation deals because that guarantees an easy target to get personal ID information. You do not want to be part of their story of taking down another person online.
So if you are looking for possibilities and rely on ads, the very convenience of it should alert you to the fact it could be a false site. Rather than falling for deals offered, seek out the original hotel chain or airline company and deal with them directly.
Also, if you use apps, think again how convenient they are and so they too can be manipulated to offer false information or send you to a contrived place that is not the one you think you are on.
The ones you are most familiar with are the ones scammers copy. The odds are with these nefarious manipulators that they will fool some people and that is what they rely on. Don’t let your own habits of not checking the source do you in.
Also, take extra measures like a secure VPN to protect yourself, Be careful when scanning QR codes and using WiFi in public spaces. Only deal with financial info directly and cover major requirements before you leave town for added protection.
Updating your phone for security should be a regular habit but especially when a vacation is in the works. While you are at it, backup any important info just to be on the safe side.
Just like with your home computer, you should be using the same security considerations including antivirus. Change passwords on a regular basis and make them challenging by using a mechanism like a password manager. Stay vigilant and use the built in measures for privacy and security that are offered by your phone manufacturer.