Traveling for business this spring? With conference season in full swing, you’ll surely be among friends! But as hackers and cyber criminals get more sophisticated and brazen year after year, you need to take some precautions to make sure you and your data are secure before you hit the road. Here are 4 tips to keep your devices secure while traveling for work.
Practice Common Sense Browsing
When using unfamiliar internet connections while traveling, it’s important to avoid any potentially sensitive online activities, such as online shopping, banking, or confidential work when working on an unsecured network. If you must do one of the above actions, only use secure sites that begin with https://. This means that you are viewing a secure page.
Update your Anti-Virus Software Before You Leave
One of the most important things you can do to protect yourself on the road is making sure your anti-virus software and security updates are as current as possible. This will help ensure that your devices are free from pre-existing malware or viruses before you leave town. Additionally, consider clearing your web history and cookies as these are easily accessed when on a public wifi network and can provide hackers with the information they need to make fraudulent transactions in your name.
Avoid Unfamiliar Hotspots
A good rule of thumb while working on the road is to avoid using public hotspots altogether. That said, sometimes they are your only option. In that case, follow our first tip above (practice common sense browsing) and avoid doing sensitive business online when connected to one. Banking and shopping while on an unfamiliar and unsecured internet connection can result in stolen credit card information, account information, or other losses of data security. Public wifi hotspots are notoriously vulnerable to hackers and may even be created with the purpose of giving hackers access to the devices that connect. Think twice before connecting to public hotspots such as those available on airplanes, at airports, hotels, or in a café, and make sure that the name of the network and login procedures are in line with what you expect from the location.
Back Up Your Files
Even the most cyber security savvy travelers can sometimes find themselves outsmarted by some insidious hacking attempt. Because of this, an ounce of precaution is worth a pound of protection. Back up your data before you leave town. That way, any loss of data while on the road may be temporarily inconvenient, but at least you know you will have access again as soon as you are back in the office. Damage to devices is far more likely to occur when traveling as well, so make sure you save the important information from your hardware in a safe place, just in case.
For more advice on how to properly manage your business documentation, consider reaching out to a consultant at Happy Faces Records Management today.
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