Vacation is a time when you should be relaxing, enjoying your time off, not having a worry in the world. Whether you are drinking Mai Tais on a beach, backpacking through Europe or riding the world’s fastest roller coaster the last thing you should be worrying about is if you turned off the Bluetooth on your iPhone or not.
I recently went on my summer vacation, and just as anyone would, I began doing my research. Along with all the great restaurant suggestions and places to see, I saw a lot of information in regards to not only physical security, but mobile security. Going through the airports and public transportation signs were posted to remind people about public Wifis and fake network. It got me thinking, what do I do to protect my mobile device while I travel.
One thing I learned from attending several Black Hat conferences is to ALWAYS turn off Bluetooth on your devices. It is one of the easiest ways for hackers to gain access to your device. It’s basically like leaving your front door open at night – just waiting for someone to walk in and steal your valuables. Same goes for Wifi. Anytime I am traveling I make sure I turn on my “Ask to Join Networks” setting. There are plenty of fake networks out there with hackers working behind the scenes, just hoping you will accidentally jump on their network, where they will happily take complete control of your phone. Really? Yes, really. They can get access to your photos, applications, email and much more.
An oldie, but a goodie, is to lock your mobile device with a strong password. It seems like an obvious thing, but data from Consumer Reports, “Found that only 36% of smartphone users have set a 4-digit PIN to lock their phone.” Don’t be the one asking for it. Get a PIN on that phone! Yes it only protects your phone if some is physically near your device, but just keep your data safe from any unwelcome eyes.
If I have the extra time, I like to make sure everything is up to date – mainly my software and my applications are up to date. If your software is out of date it means that you are basically missing out on any security bugs or fixes that have been found. And if you don’t see the harm in those unused apps sitting on your device – just think about all the data and information about you that is just waiting there for someone to grab it. So if you don’t plan on using your Starbucks app on your trip, because you will be drinking real espresso in Rome, think about deleting that bad boy before you hit the road.
And my last tidbit of advice – be sure to turn on “Find My Phone.” Most of the suggestions above deal with your virtual security, but Find My Phone covers you when your coveted device is actually stolen. Heaven forbid your phone is stolen, but if it happens you want to be able to locate it and wipe your private information to avoid your data getting into the wrong hands. Trust me, it happens.
So before you head on your last summer trip, take a few moments to get your trusty sidekick ready for the adventure too! In the long run, it will not only be worth it, but save you a lot of hassle on the other side. And honestly, who wants to deal with a security breach while on vacation?
