Blog

By Olga Papadimitriou – Business Development Officer

It is the first time that people are free to travel since the epidemic began in 2019. Despite the extremely high cost of petrol, rising inflation, aircraft disruptions and limitations etc, travel traffic is on its peak. While on the go, we should be aware of several risks that could end up in catastrophic damage.

Public WiFi

Open WiFi networks, as well as accessible WiFi networks, can be dangerous. Both hackers and the IT administrators of those networks are able to track the traffic coming in and out of the public WiFi networks. Everything, including passwords and social security numbers, might be included in the transmission. So, if you're going to use public WiFi, be aware that everything you share on your phone while it's linked to the network might end up being sent to a third party without your knowledge.

Public access PCs

While waiting for a connecting flight at the airport, you might feel the need to use a public computer for a while. Reading the news and browsing the web might be a great way to spend time and keep your phone's battery charged. However, if you must enter sensitive information into a public computer to complete a vital task, you may want to pause before you start typing or attaching your smartphone or USB stick. While you browse the internet, hackers can be recording everything you type in and infecting your linked device with harmful software.

Social media and location sharing

Cyber security is not the only issue you should consider when traveling. Sharing your whereabouts on social media may alert threat actors to the fact that you are away from home. Potential burglars who are aware that you are away from home may visit your electrical switchboard, turn off the power to turn off cameras, and then plunder your house while viewing your live feed from thousand miles away. So, it's not a good idea to disclose your location.

Contact your bank

It is imperative that you call your bank and let them know you will be away. By doing this, you can prevent having your credit card blocked when traveling abroad. Unfortunately, your bank may limit your account and inform you that the only option to unlock it is to visit a branch if you fail to inform them that you will be traveling to a specific nation. In some countries, in India for example, it might not be as simple as it seems.

Turn your ‘find my device’ feature on

Unfortunately, while you are away from home, your chances of losing or breaking your device grow dramatically. It's crucial to make sure you can locate your gadget in case something goes wrong. If you want to be able to monitor your device in the event of an incident or if you want someone close to you to constantly know where you are, features like iOS 'Find My' need to be enabled. It could be a good idea to let your children, or a friend know where you always are since, if you have access to such technology, your chances of becoming separated from each other are significantly reduced.

You must be prepared so that you can enjoy your travel and avoid inconvenient situations. To fully enjoy your vacation, make sure antivirus software is set up on all your connected devices. Additionally essential are the safe backup of your data as well as the updating of your OS and programs. In the event of an accident, you run the danger of losing all these priceless photographs if you don't transfer them to the cloud. Smart gadgets are frequently lost or stolen when you are travelling. In conclusion, if you are prepared to face these risks then you are going to enjoy your summer vacations saving your time and money.

IBSCY as a certified partner of security solutions in Cyprus by Panda Security, Kaspersky, Bitdefender and many more, we are able to provide your business and employees with various security solutions. We provide IT security solutions in Cyprus and the greater region, including all sizes of organisations.