AVG : Summertime Fun: How to Book and Travel Safely
July 2015 by AVG
Being connected while on vacation also means staying safe. Use these
tips for optimizing your gadgets’ security/privacy, so you can sit back,
relax and enjoy!
Planning and research
Before you leave
https:// Only book from secure websites
Booking your tickets and tours online? Make sure you use a reputable site
with a URL that begins with ‘https’.
Secure your bank accounts and credit cards
Be sure to notify your bank and credit card companies of your travel itinerary
and anticipated, large purchases.
Update your phone
Take the time to ensure all your software is up-to-date, so that you have the
newest features, improvements, and most importantly, security fixes.
Verify anti-theft software
Make sure your phone’s anti-theft software is set to remotely wipe your data,
in the case of loss or theft.
Set up two-step verification
This is a method for securing all of your online accounts, when you log in,
through an extra layer of security – usually in the form of a code sent in a
text message.
Remove sensitive documents and data
Leave behind what you don’t need. If there are sensitive documents or data
accessible from your devices, consider temporarily removing and copying
them onto external storage.
Be aware of your phone’s geolocation settings
When you post an image to social media, you might be posting your exact
location via the default ‘geotagging’ data. Disable your phone’s geolocation
feature and don’t proactively tag your location, so people won’t know you are
away.
En route and while on vacation
Beware of free Wi-Fi
Avoid pulling up private documents or your online banking information, when
using free Wi-Fi. If you are in a coffee shop, hotel or airport, make sure you
are using the legitimate, free Wi-Fi service by asking a staff member how to
access it.
Be wary of public computers
There’s no harm in using a public computer for tasks that don’t require you to
log into an account, because malware can secretly copy your information.
If you must access personal accounts on a public computer, be sure the sites
you visit have an ‘https’ web address. It’s also a good idea to clear the
Internet browser’s cache, history, and cookies, after you’re done.