Vacationing With Your Digital Darlings

The summer months are here and that means it’s vacation season. Whether you’re booking a weekend getaway to the nearest beach or traveling overseas to visit an unexplored country, your digital devices are most likely going to be joining you for the ride. In fact, it’s nearly impossible for most people these days to imagine traveling without their digital darlings. From planning the big trip to checking in with the office to sharing holiday photos, smartphones and tablets have become an integral part of our travel plans.  So what do you need to do to ensure they’re protected?

You should start thinking about your digital safety before your trip is even confirmed. With constant Internet access at your fingertips, it’s now easy to plan an entire vacation on your smartphone or tablet. Need to book a fight? Many major airlines have mobile apps for that. Want to purchase some last minute supplies? Your tablet has you just a few clicks away from doing so. Yet when you’re accessing these apps and sites, it’s important to keep your mobile security in mind.

• Only browse trusted apps and websites and be careful about the personal information you divulge to them, like your credit card number or home address. You will want to make sure you’re using secure sites if you’re going to share your info.
• You should not click on links or open email attachments from travel sites when receiving your confirmations. Trusted companies will include them in the bodies of their emails instead of attaching them. A lot of malware disguise itself as confirmation letters.
• To keep yourself best protected while browsing, be sure you’re using a dependable security platform for both your phone and tablet to ensure your safety

Once your vacation is planned, you’re ready to jet set off to your dream destination (with your devices in hand, of course). If you’re fighting off boredom at the airport, keeping yourself entertained on the plane or checking emails once you reach your destination, keep these safety tips in mind.

• Be careful about the Wi-Fi networks you’re joining. You may want to consider using a VPN to guarantee you have a secure connection in order to prevent an attack on your personal information.
• Never leave your devices unattended. It’s far too easy for a thief to walk off with a phone or tablet while you’re looking the other way, so remain vigilant at all times.
• Keep your devices password protected to prevent strangers from easily gaining access to your information. Longer, more complex passwords are your safest bet.
• If your device is stolen and you don’t have it password protected, you can rest easy if you’ve already set up GPS tracking and remote wipe capabilities to prevent personal data theft.
• In case of theft, you’ll also want to make sure you’re prepared by having your phone number, IMEI identifier, service provider’s number and your customer ID written down to address the situation.

With the proper security measures in place, you can sit back and enjoy some much-needed relaxation during your summer vacation. Maybe you can even find some time to let your digital darlings rest as well.