Travel has become a common occurrence for many employees and business professionals. Yet despite the travel, their responsibilities do not get put on halt. Whether it’s for a conference, a professional development workshop, or visiting a potential client or vendor, chances are you’ll bring technology with you. It’s up to you to ensure that it is kept safe from today’s rampant cyberthreats.
The security-minded business has many options for protecting its devices and data while out of the office. Here are some of the most practical and popular options.
Your devices should always have a passcode or passphrase set up on them. This will help to keep your devices safe while you are using any public wireless network in a public location. As is typical with all passwords, you should use credentials that are unique and complex. If you find this difficult, a password manager can make it significantly easier. In fact, we recommend you do this with all devices, as well as utilize a multi-factor authentication solution for added security.
You should always be wary of places with public charge ports and wireless networks. Hackers know that locations like airports, train stations, restaurants, and other public locations with these types of connections tend to attract potential victims. You can avoid the danger of worrying about these networks by bringing your own hardware, so to speak, through the use of charge blocks and your phone’s wireless mobile hotspot. This will let you use your own mobile data plan to connect to the Internet rather than deal with potentially dangerous situations.
There is never a good reason to leave your device unattended in a public location. Hackers could easily steal your device or the data it contains. It doesn’t take much; just a little bit of malware from a thief could let them make off with data without even stealing your device outright. You’re better off just bringing your devices with you if you have to leave the location, like if you have to go to the restroom. You can always set up shop again later.
Remaining vigilant of your physical location is also important, as suspicious activity can sometimes be picked up simply by being observant. Be sure to report suspicious activity and keep prying eyes away from your screen and keyboard whenever possible.
Public wireless networks are known for being less-than-secure, but you can make them much easier to use through a virtual private network, or VPN. A VPN will encrypt traffic sent to or from your device, meaning that any onlookers will be swiftly punished with unreadable data.
Traveling is already stressful enough without having to deal with cybersecurity. Make it easier by working with First Column IT. Our team of professional technicians will help you check all the travel security boxes before you even leave the office. Learn more by calling us at (571) 470-5594.
