Digital security when traveling: 10 must-do tips

Digital security at home is somewhat easy. When traveling, protecting your data and your devices becomes challenging. Here are 10 tips to ensure digital security while traveling.
Digital security is hard enough to maintain at home. Once you add in the variables of traveling, protecting your digital world becomes even more challenging. Public Wi-Fi networks, crowded hotel and airport lobbies, popular shopping areas, favorite eateries and bank ATMs are some spots viewed as target-rich environments for criminals seeking to abscond with your personal data – important passwords, bank accounts, and even your identity.
Recently, within minutes of entering an airport lounge in Chengdu, China, awaiting our next flight to Kunming, I logged into the lounge Wi-Fi and was immediately alerted via software on my computer that someone had already accessed my Spotify password. My password was quickly changed and the attack thwarted, but it was a quick reminder to even a veteran traveler: Always remain vigilant and use every tool available to keep your digital life safe from prying eyes and nefarious intentions.
Here are 10 tips to help ensure your digital security when traveling:
- Assume all public Wi-Fi is unsafe. It is not hard for any hacker to access even password-protected Wi-Fi by breaking into the connection or spoofing a legitimate network with a fake one you unwittingly log into. If a hacker can view your Wi-Fi connection, he or she can easily steal your passwords, usernames, and all transmitted data. They can also inject malware into your computer that will continue to eavesdrop on your connections once you get home. If a Wi-Fi network ever asks you to install software or a plugin before using it, hit the disconnect button immediately. This is a well-known scam that simply uploads malware onto your computer, assisted by yourself.
HITT Tip: Do not charge your phone or tablet via a USB port in any public place without a USB data blocker. A USB data blocker is a small USB plug that connects to the end of your USB charging cable and allows you to charge your phone or tablet safely with no risk of viruses being uploaded or hacking occurring.
- Install and always use a VPN (virtual private network) on every digital device you own. Basically, once the VPN software is installed on your computer and all of your devices – smartphones and tablets – it routes your data in an encrypted format through another server that makes it look as if you are directly connected to that network, not the public Wi-Fi network you may be using. This effectively foils criminal minds intent on stealing your data. A VPN can also allow you to fully access the web in countries where you might otherwise be prevented from doing so – China, for example – by making it look as if you are somewhere else in the world. We happily accessed every corner of the web from China while the government agency censors thought we were hanging out in Norway or Italy.
HITT Tip: Install and use a VPN now, even at home. Do not wait until you are traveling. Expect to pay anywhere from $4 to $12.95 a month for a service that offers premium security as well as a minimal web-speed reduction (your data will move through a number of extra locations when it departs and before it arrives back to you, which can cause lags). Also, be sure you purchase a service that will work on all of the devices you own – IOS, Windows, OS, Android, etc., and will work on multiple devices not just one with each installation. Therese and I each pay $60 a year for a service that works on up to five devices each – meaning our laptops, tablets and smartphones are always protected. OK, we agree with what one fellow traveler said recently, “Boy, you have a lot of electronic devices.” But we aren’t so unusual in today’s digital age.
- Always use a password manager. Simple-stupid passwords (e.g. “password” or “12345”), saved passwords in browsers, repetitive passwords (same for every site you access), passwords containing key personal data (your street address or a child’s name) are examples that make hackers salivate when seeking to steal digital information. A password manager puts all of your digital keys (passwords and usernames) behind a very secure wall and inside an encrypted vault. You simply have to remember one very strong password to open that manager and it will do the rest for you – for example, logging you in securely without prying eyes watching, changing your passwords if an account breach is detected or if a website requires it occasionally, and remembering notes or answers to “secret” questions. Some password managers, like Dashlane, also allow you to designate an emergency contact to have access to select data with your permission. Dashlane and NordPass are but a few of the top-rated password managers available.
HITT Tip: Not in the mood to set up a password manager? Well then at the VERY least please ensure the passwords you are using are strong. Our friends at Cloudwards.net have created a free password generator that will allow you to create new passwords that are complex. They are not stored on any server, merely generated in your browser, so this will not be of much help if you forget what you have created, but it is a very good start!
- Use two-factor authentication for all your important web-based services. That means for bank accounts, social media, email and any other service you use. If two-factor authentication is offered, enable it. Yes, it’s mildly inconvenient, but in the event someone does manage to sneak off with your password, the criminal will need a second-level security code in order to log in. This is sent to you via text or generated using special software installed on your smartphone. In the event your phone is stolen, be sure you know how to remotely access your data and email via alternative methods which vary for Android and iPhone users.
HITT Tip: Sometimes email providers, banks or other institutions will send email or text warnings if your account has been accessed by a computer it does not recognize, from a computer in a different location than normal (using a VPN can help prevent this), or suddenly multiple times from this strange place or purchasing from a foreign website. Do not ignore these warnings! It often takes one click or a quick call to assure the provider it was you. In some cases, if you don’t appease them, the provider will shut down access to your account.
- Always use a PIN code for your computers and devices. We know it’s a pain, but this is a simple deterrent to thwart opportunistic criminals. On your laptop, make your password a very strong one and set your system to require a password to log back in after short idle times. For your tablets or smartphones, if your device supports more than four characters, opt for this and make your password as strong as possible. Newer versions of both iPhone and iPad feature fingerprint scanners for Touch ID login or face ID, which is the most digitally secure.
- Enable and use encryption on all of your devices for maximum digital security. If someone makes off with your computer or tablet or smartphone, ensure your data will remain protected behind a strong password. If you are on a Mac, you will use FireVault. Windows computers use BitLocker. Apple tablets and phones using iOS 8 or higher are encrypted by default. If you are using an Android device, go to “Settings” then “Security” then “Encrypt Device.”
HITT Tip: Software from smartphone manufacturers (Android Device Manager and Find My iPhone) as well as aftermarket software from companies such as Norton and others can work to help you track down stolen devices. In a worst-case scenario, send a command to your device to remotely wipe it clean of all personal data the next time it connects to the Internet. Be sure your devices are set up correctly and working with the appropriate tracking software before you travel. Get help if you need it instead of just putting this off.
- Use antivirus software to help keep bad digital bugs at bay when you are traveling. To ensure full digital security, also use your antivirus software to perform a deep sweep and clean of your computer once you return home to check for spyware, malware and viruses you may have inadvertently picked up.

Be sure to do everything possible, even when it may be slightly inconvenient, to ensure your digital security. Bike lock? OK, maybe not….
- If you are not at any time using Bluetooth or your wireless connection on your smartphones, tablets and laptops, disable them. Simply put the device in airplane mode, for example, or even make a habit of turning off these connections unless you need them. This is just another way to make it harder for criminals to do a snatch-and-grab in your digital world when you might not be aware.
- Use your mobile phone in its tethering “Hot Spot” mode to surf the web on your computer or tablet, says digital expert Shaun Murphy. If you have unlimited and fast data connection for your phone, this is a much more secure and effective way to connect to the Internet than using public Wi-Fi. Keep in mind when traveling internationally, your speed may be throttled or data connections may be VERY expensive. Do check your mobile phone plan and data allowances before you connect, and consider opting in to an international plan prior to your departure for the period you will be gone.
- Keep your devices and computer updated. This may seem obvious, but on a recent trip abroad, when I was helping a tour leader with an IT problem, I was stunned to see he had not updated his operating system or various applications in months! And he really did know better. Not updating software opens your device to security holes that become veritable welcome mats to hackers seeking access to your digital world.
HITT Tip: Never store passwords and username information in your browser’s memory. It is convenient, yes, but far too easy of a target. Also, before you travel, clear all of your cached data and erase all of your stored cookies. Shaun Murphy, CEO of SNDR.com and a leading expert on digital security, recommends using a separate browser when traveling … one you don’t otherwise use at home. Murphy also advises connecting to websites by typing in “https” rather than “http” as this forces a more secure connectionlt for any website that is still in the dark ages and not using https as a default.
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