Guidance

Do you add protecting yourself and protecting your devices to your holiday checklist?

There are several reasons why protecting yourself and your devices should be a top priority when you go away on holiday. Whether you are going on a staycation or going abroad, it is important to protect yourself, your devices and to stay safe online. We have put together some simple tips to support you when you go away on holiday this summer.

We all pack smartphones, laptops and tablets to stay connected while we are away on holiday, but these devices can be easily lost and more worryingly, they become an easy target for thieves. These devices store a large quantity of sensitive data, so securing these devices is crucial. When you are somewhere new, if a device is stolen, these situations can be amplified as you may not be aware of the reporting processes of these stolen goods to the local authorities. Furthermore, as well as these incidents causing upset to the individuals involved, they will also incur an added expense that you weren’t expecting. Ensure that your devices are password protected and you have backed up all your data which will make your devices more inaccessible, and you will be able to recover any data that has the potential of being stolen.

When we are away, most people will often connect to Public Wi-Fi as this is a convenient way to access our devices, however, there are some considerations that we must be aware of when it comes to Public Wi-Fi. Public Wi-Fi hotspots come across as authentic but are you sure that they are legitimate? If these are not genuine Wi-Fi hotspots, it comes with a variety of risks:

• They could gain access to what you’re working on.
• They could access your private login details.
• They could access the data and information stored on these devices.

To ensure that none of these risks occur, we recommend that you do not connect to any unknown Wi-Fi hotspots, particularly on those devices that contain sensitive information such as your online banking account details, and emails. It can lead to dangerous situations if these pieces of information get into the wrong hands, instead use your mobile data supplied through your mobile network as this will have built-in security.

We all like to take photos while we are on holiday to capture memories with family and friends, and although this is very common to upload these onto social media, it can run into some risks back home. When you post that you are on holiday, you are allowing people to see that your home is likely unoccupied. Even if this is just a short break away, it increases the risk of having your house broken into. Many people have fallen victim to this and now insurance companies are beginning to refuse to pay out if they find out that you posted about your holiday online. Instead, consider posting about your holiday once you are back home, this way you still get to share your memories, but it reduces the risk of your home being broken into.

Following these practical tips will help you enjoy your holiday, while still protecting yourself and your devices:

1. Don’t leave your devices unattended and be vigilant when you have them out in public.
2. Be aware of who is around as they may be looking at what you’re doing, particularly if you’re inputting any personal or confidential details.
3. Be aware if you have any of these devices out in public, you could become an easy target of theft.
4. Always use your mobile data instead of connecting to a Public Wi-Fi.
5. Don’t share that you are on holiday on social media if your home is left unoccupied. Instead, wait until you arrive home before posting any photos.

Here are some further links for some additional guidance:

• NCSC’s advice for keeping your smartphone (and tablets) safe