Most people care about hygiene when they travel. They know to wash their hands after touching public surfaces, and perhaps not to add ice to their drinks in restaurants that may not clean their machine so often. Of course, none of us can prevent every malady and danger, but being mindful and keeping good practice can certainly limit a great deal of risk.
However, while the physical hygiene of our surroundings is important, it’s also important to consider your digital hygiene when you travel. If you wanted to talk in terms of a Sci-Fi novel from the 80’s, we all have one foot in cyberspace. Our online profiles allow us to share our lives and experiences to those we care about. If improperly configured, other people can see that information too.
For this reason, learning how to practice good digital self-care when abroad is essential for our safety and protection. In this guide, we’ll help you know where to start:
Secure Your Devices Before You Leave
Before you even pack your bags, it’s a good idea to make sure your devices are as secure as possible. This means updating all your software and apps to the latest versions because they have security patches to protect you.
It’s also worth considering setting up a VPN (Virtual Private Network) on your devices. A VPN encrypts your internet connection which is important if you connect to public Wi-Fi, as we’ll go into later. Some can be free, while some offer a cheap one-month plan.
Another step to take is to enable two-factor authentication on all your important accounts just in case. This will give you a second offline code to use to log into certain accounts, meaning only you can access them even if someone has your password. This guide on how to keep phone safe from hackers is a great place to start.
Be Mindful Of Public Wi-Fi
Public Wi-Fi can seem like a fantastic benefit, and of course, it is. We expect it as a default in many modern hotels or even trains and planes now. It’s convenient, and it lets you stay connected as you need to, even if it’s just to download your tickets. However, remember that if you can access it, other people with tech knowledge and somewhat unscrupulous intentions can as well.
Public networks are often unsecured, which means anyone on the same network could potentially see what you’re doing online, so try to avoid accessing sensitive information like your bank account or entering credit card details without ta VPN as we discussed above. It’s also a good idea to turn off automatic Wi-Fi connection on your devices so they don’t just join random networks and keep you connected to your mobile data when it’s available. If you can, set up a roaming plan with your network provider, it might cost a touch more but at least that’s singular to you.
Mind Your Social Media Sharing
It’s totally understandable to want to share your travel experiences on social media, but oversharing can sometimes put you at risk and unfortunately, people have found this out the hard way. Posting real-time updates about your location can let potential thieves know that your home is empty, or make you a target if needed. Does that mean people are scouring your profile? Not necessarily. But they could if everything is open and you’re tagging into specific places. It’s not worth the risk.
Consider waiting until you’re back home to post about your trip, or at least delay your posts by a day or two so you’re never exactly where you say you are. If you do want to share in real-time, make sure your privacy settings are strict so only trusted friends and family can see your updates and avoid public hashtagging if you can.
It’s also wise to be careful about what appears in the background of your photos. Think of signs and hotel room numbers of valuables here.
Use Secure Payment Methods
If you’re ever targeted abroad, it will mostly be for your money, and so it’s essential to make sure you use reliable methods. Credit cards often have better fraud protection than debit cards, and many now offer contactless payments which can be more secure than swiping your card too. However, before inserting your card into any slot, make sure you pull at the socket a little to make sure it’s not loose, as this could be a pirate scanner that can read your details and send it to a hacker. If you need to use an ATM, try to stick to ones inside banks or in well-lit, busy areas.
For online purchases, you could use a virtual credit card number if your bank offers this service, because this can keep your main card safe. Some online challenger banks offer this.
With this advice, we hope you can stay digitally safe abroad.
