Privacy Tips on the Road

When we are on the road, it is easy to adapt a care-free attitude. However, it is important that wherever you go you take certain steps to protect your privacy. Below are some common sense tips that you can follow to protect your privacy while you travel.

One of the most common ways that information gets shared accidentally on vacation is through Wi-Fi. If you are using the Wi-Fi at your hotel or at local restaurants, do not assume that it is a secure connection. In many cases, all information you share while online, will be visible to others. In such cases, the data plan on your mobile device might be more secure. Double check to make sure your computer or mobile device has not automatically joined a Wi-Fi network. If this is the case, you will need to adjust your settings so that your device no longer looks for Wi-Fi.

Another way important information is accidentally shared is through documents you carry on your trip. When you travel, you keep important papers with you that usually would be locked safe at home. Consider staying in a hotel where a safe is available, and keep as many of your documents in the safe as possible. If you are traveling in a foreign country and need to keep your passport on your person, make sure to make copies and keep them in the safe. That way, if your passport is stolen, you will have information you need about your identity to be allowed back in the country.

While you are traveling, it is fun to keep your family and friends updated through social media sites. It is important to think about what kind of information you are sharing and when you are sharing it. Avoid posting your intended travel plans in advance, especially specifics. Also, if you are posting pictures of your trip, delay your posts until after you return or at the very least after you have left that specific spot. It is important that strangers cannot follow your travel plans too closely. To some degree you can monitor the amount of information strangers get by adjusting the privacy settings on your social media profiles.

Also, while you are traveling is an optimal time for identity thieves to make use of your credit card. Especially if you are either in a foreign country or on a romantic vacation, people who have secured your credit card number will think it is the perfect time to make the most use of it. Continue to check you bank statements even while you are away. That way, you can catch any unauthorized charges as soon as they happen, cancel your card, and hopefully have the money returned to you by the bank. That being said, it is important to have either more than one credit card or plan another means by which you could use your money if you lost or had to cancel your primary credit card.

Traveling should be fun and enjoyable. There is no reason to be overly concerned with risks to your privacy while you are away. Simply use your common sense, and remain aware of your surroundings. If you do, you will be able to enjoy your trip even more, knowing that you are taking the steps necessary to protect your privacy.