How NOT to get hacked while traveling abroad

Tis’ the season for a lot of travel, and for us security specialists means a state of panic. A bunch of people doing a lot of dumb crap on public wifi, clicking things they shouldn’t, accessing websites and devices that are completely infested.

Wait ..imagine there was a SW that would create a visual for a site that was completely infested, kind of like that part in Mortal Kombat when homeboy has the cockroaches coming out of him (am I remembering this movie correctly)?!?!

Here are some ways you can stay cyber secure while traveling. You know, keep your identity, physical location and money safe…no big deal.

So you’re listening to music, you’re at the airport in another country using some public ass wifi and boom. You got got.

Before you go:

1. Update the software on ALL of your devices: I’ve gotten some pretty precarious feedback from people about updating their devices. Some folks don’t update because of the UI changes, and others have said they don’t update because they don’t want to be told what to do?

Bruhh. Don’t be silly. Software updates on your devices are crucial. They’re meant to patch vulnerabilities or gaps within your device/applications. It’s not a “maybe I’ll do it”, it’s a necessity and if you don’t do it you’re putting yourself and anyone you communicate with at serious risk. Please just update.

1. Back up your devices.

2. TURN OFF AUTO-CONNECT WIFI ON YOUR PHONE: YES ALL CAPS BECAUSE I AM ACTUALLY YELLING THIS.

• Prevent iPhone Connecting to a Wi-fi network automatically

• How do I disable WiFi auto connect in Android?

While Traveling:

PUBLIC WIFI IS LITERALLY SCARY AF AND HERE IS WHY —

If you’re traveling and your shit gets stolen, that really sucks. We have to go through an entire process after that occurs. We get new cards, new devices, have to call a bunch of different companies to let them know what happened. In turn, we make sure to be EXTRA cautious about our belongings and things.

Now imagine giving the same amount of care about your data, identity, passwords, and access to you entire life ( AKA your phone). Physical threats are obvious but the other threats are the real slow killers. Compromised public wifi are infested with data thieves that are waiting to find your personal information, pick up passwords, and access your accounts (everyone knows most ppl use the same password for everything).

Staying Secure While You’re Abroad:

1. Don’t do important shit on public wifi: access bank accounts, make online purchases.

2. Every so often, go into settings and “forget the network” and log back again.

3. Try logging onto public wifi with a random password. If you can get in, that means the connection is not secure.

4. Shut off auto-join function on your phone for both bluetooth and wifi.

This is extra AF, but if you’re really paranoid:

1. Change the passwords to important accounts before you go and change them back when you’re back from travels.

2. Buy a Visa Gift Card and use that for your online apps like Uber or Lyft, to ensure security if your device does indeed get breached.

3. Delete credit card info/linked bank account information from apps.

4. Delete apps you wont be using that are connected to your bank accounts/credit cards (banking apps, Amazon, Groupon, etc..)

5. Turn off Cellular Data for apps that you’re simply not using while you’re abroad.

6. Get a flip phone lol.

Feel free to visit Cybercollective.org and join our mailing list for more relatable, digestible and impactful security information. We’re a woman owned cyber security social enterprise, focused on mass social impact and changing the security narrative from elitist, to everyone.

CEO & Founder, Cyber Collective — Tazin Khan