IMPROVE ONLINE SAFETY DURING THE HOLIDAYS (7 TIPS)
Are you also going on holiday to a warm country? Then there is a good chance that your phone, tablet or laptop will go with you in the suitcase. You may not be thinking about it yet, but this puts your digital security at extra risk. Do you want to make sure that your online identity and personal details remain safe during the holidays? Then take the following 7 tips into account!
1. Avoid checked baggage
First of all, make sure that your equipment is always close by. The best tip is to always wear things such as a telephone or laptop against your body. Never hand over equipment as checked baggage. For example, your laptop can be stolen from the suitcase faster. Or your luggage may be sent to the wrong destination and you may have lost the suitcase forever. In both cases, your equipment may fall into the hands of strangers, which may result in personal data and files being stolen.
2. Evade public Wi-Fi
It seems so simple to surf the Internet quickly via a public Wi-Fi network. After all, you do not need a password and you are connected to the worldwide web in just moments. But do you keep in mind that criminals may be watching along with everything you do? Public Wi-Fi connections are unfortunately not known for their safety. More often criminals set up these networks themselves or they try to hack these networks. When you connect, all data you enter will be forwarded directly to the hacker. This is especially dangerous if you enter passwords or log in via a banking application.
3. Two-factor authentication
It is wise to set up two-factor authentication for all your devices. Many internet users do not yet use this security function, while it greatly increases security. Thanks to two-factor authentication, you not only use a password to log in, but they also need a personal key that is sent to your mobile phone. If your password is stolen during the holiday. Then two-factor authentication ensures that hackers still have no access to personal accounts.
4. Don’t post your location
Do you want to make all your friends and family members jealous with holiday photos of white sandy beaches and waving palm trees? It is wise not to post this on your social media channels daily. These online updates tell criminals that you are not at home. This increases the chance that a burglar will come by while you enjoy a cocktail on the beach. The advice is therefore simple. Wait until you get home again before posting holiday photos.
An extra tip is to block your social media channels such as Facebook and Instagram for strangers. For example, burglars scanning these networks cannot see your status updates. However, it is still not recommended to constantly post that you are on vacation.
5. Don’t forget to log out
Because mobile internet is increasingly available abroad, this tip may seem less relevant. But it is always something to keep a close eye on. When people are on a holiday they still regularly use local computers, for example in the hotel or the internet cafe. Here you can, for example, read the mail, view social media or check bank accounts. When your internet session expires, never forget to log out! This gives people who sit on the same computer after you access to your accounts.
6. Make a backup
A laptop, tablet or telephone can unfortunately always be stolen during the summer holidays. A shame of course, especially if there are also valuable documents and photos on the phone. A good tip is therefore to regularly back up your data. For example, this can be done on an external hard drive. And during the holidays you can, for example, upload data every evening to a cloud storage such as Dropbox or Google Drive. If you lose a device, valuable files will still be saved.
7. Update software
Always install the most recent software updates before you travel. For example, make sure that the most recent version of Windows 10 is installed on your laptop. And that the latest version of Android or IOS runs on your mobile phone. The most recent version of this software is simply the most secure. For example, security leaks are addressed or new security measures are added. This makes it more difficult for criminals to access your (mobile) equipment online.