How to travel safely over the summer holidays

Will you be trav­el­ling this summer? Taking the right pre­cau­tions will ensure that your hard-earned hol­i­days are not spoiled by cyber-criminals.

It is common knowl­edge that you are par­tic­u­larly vul­ner­able to fraud and loss when you are trav­el­ling. In our day and age, this par­tic­u­larly applies to mobile devices, espe­cially since their ver­sa­tility has ensured that they have become irre­place­able. Pre­pare your­self for your travels by fol­lowing our tips below:

Before your trip:

• Back-up all the data on your mobile device.
• Remove any data, apps and online accounts you don’t need from your mobile device.
• Organise alter­na­tive means of com­mu­ni­ca­tion and payment.
• Print out all the doc­u­ments you will need for your journey (e. g. flight tickets, vac­ci­na­tion passport).
• If you travel alone, specify an emer­gency con­tact, and advise that person before­hand that you have done so.

During your trip:

•  Keep all your alter­na­tive means of com­mu­ni­ca­tion and pay­ment and your travel doc­u­ments sep­a­rate from your mobile device.
• Avoid public Wi-Fi hotspots. Only ever use secure hotspots pro­vided by com­pa­nies you trust (e. g. your hotel).
• Remain vig­i­lant, and bear our “5 steps for your dig­ital secu­rity” in mind.

After your trip:

• Back up your data.
• Check all your transactions.
• Change all pass­words for any online accounts you have been using during your travels.
• Notify your emer­gency con­tact of your safe return.