Travel is always exciting, whether this is a family vacation, a solo backpacking adventure, or a business trip. However, you also need to be aware of the risks involved with travel and how you can protect yourself. With a few simple steps, you can stay safe while traveling and focus on making the most out of your time abroad. Read on to find out more.
Preparation is Key
First, there are a few things you should do before your departure to ensure safety. These include checking the travel advice for your specific destination, sharing itineraries if you are traveling with a group, and making sure that you have travel insurance that covers all members of your group. Finally, make sure that you back up key documents and have both digital and paper copies.
Securing Devices & Connections On the Move
These days, it is common to travel with smartphones, tablets, and laptops. This presents a risk as these devices can be targeted by criminals, plus cybercrime is a growing threat and harder to protect yourself from while on the move. Be sure to set strong passwords, enable two-factor authentication, and disable auto-connect to public Wi-Fi. You should also use a VPN when connecting to unsecured public Wi-Fi (in places like airports, cafes, hotels, etc) to prevent snooping and safeguard your sensitive data.
Protect Your Data & Identity
Following this, you should also know how to guard your personal data and identity while traveling. This involves avoiding storing sensitive documents unencrypted on your devices, using secure cloud backups of photos/documents, and limiting sharing on public social media while you are away. If traveling as a family, make sure that children’s devices are supervised at all times and avoid having these out in public places.
Be Wary of Your Surroundings
Finally, you need to make sure you are always aware of your surroundings. Phone theft is on the rise, so avoid having your phone, other devices, and passport out in public and keep these somewhere secure on your person, such as a cross-body bag. You should also make use of hotel safes for devices and valuable items when they are not needed. A UK government security campaign includes advice for staying aware of IT and physical risks while traveling abroad, highlighting the need for preparation before your trip.
By following the advice in this post, you can stay safe during your travels and make the most out of your experience. There are many threats these days, so weary traveler needs to prioritise safety, particularly when it comes to protecting their digital assets.