You always have to look after your own safety whenever you do anything and because of that, we have created holiday cyber security tips. Life can be extremely unforgiving if you’re not careful. Even when you are in a seemingly very safe spot, you could end up in a lot of trouble. It’s not nice that we always have to look over our shoulders, but that’s the life we live. When traveling abroad as a solo woman or with a group, you’d think that it’s nothing but blissful. You do have to take precautions, however. In this post, we are going to be talking about your safety when operating online as you travel the world.
Holiday Cyber Security Tips
You never know what might happen to you in any given instance, and your technology can be your best friend if you are in trouble. This doesn’t mean that technology and automation are flawless, though. You could run into all sorts of trouble if you are naive or undereducated on the matter. Fortunately, it’s just a case of getting to grips with a few things. Here are a few things to think of regarding your online safety when in a foreign part of the world:
The Risk For Public Wi-Fi Networks
When you are in a new place, it’s common that you might want to use the local Wi-Fi in order to get information or stay in touch with someone. This kind of thing is normal because we rely on it a lot in this day and age. This doesn’t mean that every single Wi-Fi point is safe, however. Typically, these kinds of hotspots will be safe, but hackers can get into unsecured ones. They could cause all kinds of damage to anybody who uses them in many cases. Just be wary of what you are looking into.
My go to wi-fi is usually from the hotel, hostel or Airbnb that I’m staying at. These are reliable and tend to be safe and are a one of the best holiday cyber security tips. Besides that, big restaurants are another good one to use. When I’m traveling through a new country, I try not to have my phone out that much since I don’t want it to be stolen. I’m wary of having it out all the time due to this. So, I try to plan ahead to where I’m going. If I’m using google maps, I look at where I need to go and then quickly put it back into my pocket. When it comes to taking photos, I also try to do this quickly. Now, this truly depends on where you’re at and how the atmosphere feels there.
Staying Away From Dangerous Individuals And Groups
When you travel abroad, you might look for local activities or local groups to be a part of. Now, this is a bit away from holiday cyber security tips. But it’s just a important! While hanging out with locals and doing local activities seems very wholesome on the surface, there may be a few people with nefarious ideas. Always do background checks on certain groups because you could find yourself in a very dangerous position. All kinds of people use the Internet to recruit victims – and this is somewhat common for people who are moving to an entirely different place or traveling abroad.
Now, we are not trying to scare you. We just want you to be aware. When I travel, I always follow my gut feeling and it’s saved me in a lot of sketchy situations. One of the things that I enjoy the most when I’m traveling solo or with family is being surrounded by the locals and in their culture. So, I’m not saying to stay in the touristy areas. What this article is about is to give you more of an awareness to be mindful of what you’re doing and where you’re at. I mean, there are areas in the states that are avoided. That’s the same for many countries. Just do as I do, follow that intuition of yours! It knows best!
Malware And Phishing Scams
This is a very universal issue, but you certainly don’t want to be caught in this kind of storm when you’re thousands of miles away from your home. A high percentage of people are scammed by this kind of thing every single day. They get a text message or an email from the group pretending to be your bank or anything else important. They ask you to input your details and are given all kinds of information. Because of this, they can now use your details to take your money or data. It can be quite confusing as to whether you have clicked on a phishing link or not, but you should always be cautious. Whenever you receive an email asking for this kind of thing, immediately become skeptical.
I’ve fallen victim to an investing scam online and I see this as an important holiday cyber security tip. Don’t fall for this! Many of these kinds of companies have made it seem so legit. But, if they ask for your personal information, call your bank or someone you trust to get a second opinion. Besides that, when you’re traveling, focus on that and don’t get caught up with these kinds of emails or texts. I almost forgot! Always look for logos, emblems, or contact information to a person in these. Then, look that up online to see if it is in fact legit.
Be Cautious With Sharing On Social Media
Social media is great, but it’s also full of bad people. You should never disclose important information about yourself or where you are currently situated. It might seem innocent on the surface, but people may look to stalk you or something equally nasty. This is obviously not ideal when you are in an entirely different land.
Now, personally, I haven’t had any issues with this. But I don’t give out my social medias so freely. As I mentioned, follow that gut feeling. If you’re a solo female and you’re worried about traveling alone, then I recommend reaching out to Greether. This is a great platform that was established by a lady to help solo ladies travel. Now, on Greether, you can find other solo female travelers and female locals that can help you on your trip! It’s a great way to make new friends and feel safer doing a trip alone.
Be Aware and Use These Holiday Cyber Security Tips
This was written to give you an overview of things that maybe aren’t thought about while you’re traveling. Now, I don’t want this to scare you and at all. What I want for you to take from this is just be mindful of where you are at and how the place feels. Hold your ground if you think that something doesn’t feel right and don’t let anyone push you away from your gut feeling! You got this and your trip will be amazing!
Travel Insurance
When it comes to traveling, prepare for the unknown. There’s always a possibility to lose something or accidentally get hurt. That’s why it’s so important to have travel insurance and I always go with Safety Wing. They’re great since they were created by digital nomads for digital nomads. Plus, this is another way to be cautious like mentioned above. Check out Safety Wing to learn more.
Travel
After taking in all the internet concerns, it’s time to look on the brighter side of travel. Check out my travel page to get some inspiration on places to visit and learn more about the dos and don’ts when planning your trip! If you ever have any questions, please reach out to me and I’ll help you the best that I can!
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