It’s that time of the year again – time for you and your family to go on vacation and recharge. And you’re probably bringing lots of digital devices.
Out there, in the public WiFi wilderness, any device can get attacked by hackers. And you can lose valuable data like financial and credit card info, medical data, or passport information.
If you want to keep your family safe in the digital world during vacation, keep reading.
1. Use A VPN
If you plan on using public networks a lot, you should consider encryption as a defence. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) utilize encryption to safeguard your connection from eavesdroppers. A VPN also hides your IP from the internet and allows you to access geo-restricted content, which means you’ll be able to access the same content as you can back home.
If getting a VPN for every family device is not an option, you can use one on your laptop and share the connection with others when they need to do sensitive work online. Be careful when choosing a VPN provider. You’re trusting the company to keep your data safe and private, so be sure to read up and choose a company that has a good reputation.
For example, this NordVPN review was posted by the company itself, and it includes an overview of reviews from third parties. This is a sign of a transparent and trustworthy company.
2. Don’t skip the updates
No matter how boring or cumbersome, you should take some time before you travel to update your devices.
Both software and hardware companies add security patches to updates. For example, if Samsung found a security hole in one of their smartphones, they would send out a security update as soon as they fix it. A large number of scammers count on people not updating their devices in time.
When it comes to apps, start with the essentials – update your banking, email, and social media apps.
3. Secure Your Credentials and Password-Protect Your Devices
Another point of breach for hackers, especially if you’re on a public WiFi network, is weak passwords. You’d be surprised by the number of people that still use “password” to “protect” their accounts.
Before you go on a trip, renew the passwords on your devices and apps. When it comes to accessing your devices, biometrics is the most secure option, but a strong password will do as well. Here are some things to keep in mind:
● Use numbers and special symbols, but avoid using meaningful numbers like birthdays. ● Never reuse an old password. No matter how difficult it may seem, take some time to create a unique string of symbols.
● No matter who asks you, do not give your login info to anyone.
4. Enable 2FA
2-factor authentication will help you protect your data even if your login info gets stolen. 2FA lets you set 2 different authentication points for your log in sessions. You can combine it with biometrics on your phone, so no one can log into your account without your fingerprint and/or face.
With 2FA set up, when someone tries to log in (with the correct password), you will get prompted to allow/deny it first.
It’s important to protect your primary email with 2FA, as well as all the apps that use your personal info.
5. Teach Your Family The Art Of Google-Fu and Privacy Protection
All of these defence measures are bound to fail if you’re not careful out there. Travelling together means a lot of googling and a lot of online research. Talk to your family about internet security and what it means to protect your data.
Most likely, you will have photos of important documents saved on your phone during vacation. These photos can be as valuable to hackers as real paper copies, so make sure everyone in the family understands the importance of keeping them safe.
Bottom line
All this cybersecurity talk is here to make your holiday more pleasant by helping you protect yourself and your family, not scare you. Data and identity theft can ruin your holiday in a matter of seconds, so spend some time beforehand strengthening your cyber defences. Have a safe trip!
