Your security on the internet during your vacations
Data is everywhere, which is why it’s important to understand what data security is and adopt good practices to protect yourself during the summer vacation period.
Vacations rhyme with rest, sun and family… To avoid falling into the traps of hackers this summer, respect some simple security rules. They don’t take vacations, on the contrary, they adapt to the summer period to perfect their tricks and attempts at swindling.
The traps of hackers
The goal of cybercriminals in the summer remains the same: to steal confidential information from you in order to use it. In summer, during the vacations, their techniques adapt to your changing rhythms…
In this specific context, you might receive an email from your airline informing you of a problem related to your trip… Is it really your airline or a malicious email? Even on vacation, always take the time to check the content of your emails, links and downloads before clicking on them.
The same applies to reservation centers: hotel, vehicle, etc. Any doubt about the origin of the email? It will always be safer and faster to find a solution by calling the central office directly.
On vacation, we all check our email on our smartphones more often than on our computers. It is important to know that being less secure, we are 3 times more likely to be victims of a phishing attack through our phones. We are also less vigilant, the lack of attention due to the summer context and the consultation on mobile plays in our disadvantage against cybercriminals.
Cybersecurity: the right thing to do before your vacation
Beware of offers that are too good to be true when making your reservations. The travel agency or the establishment / company, remains the best way to take no risk and not be disappointed.
If you find a good offer on a site, check the user reviews and the security of the pages where you make your payments.
Remember to back up all the data on the devices you take with you on vacation, in case of loss or theft.
Avoid announcing your vacation on social networks if you are not sure of the privacy settings of your accounts. Your friends and family will be delighted to know that you are going to the sun and so will the cybercriminals… it will be all the easier for them to target their phishing with precision according to your travel dates and destination.
Update your applications… updates allow to correct some security flaws. You might as well do them before you leave so that you have a clear head when you arrive at your vacation spot.
Your security on the internet while on the move
Be especially careful when using public wifi networks. This type of connection is particularly risky. Some individuals may have access to your personal data.
Disable automatic connection to open wifi networks is the first thing you should do.
Setting up a VPN on your various devices is a solution to be able to connect to a secure network even when it is public… Find out more before you leave.
Also avoid public computers, when they are available at your accommodation for example. Their security is not always reliable, the data you enter could be stolen.
More and more public places provide charging stations via USB ports. By plugging in you could be infected by malware. It is advisable to take your own portable charging station, or to connect directly to the power supply via a complete socket without going through the terminals provided for this purpose.
Enjoy your vacation
Once you have all the right reflexes in mind, all that’s left is to enjoy your vacation with a light mind and maximum safety.
And keep in mind that your devices do not like heat A computer or a phone left a little too long at the poolside in the sun or in the car are all potential causes of overheating and therefore: lost data, alteration of the touch or the battery, but also error messages and unexpected outages.
(source article)
