How to protect your cell phone, tablet and computer while on vacation

Are you going abroad during your vacation? We explain how to protect your Android and iOS phones and tablets and your computer for free, but also what paid subscriptions you can get to be safe and hide your data in the city and at the beach.

When we travel abroad, the first thing we think of is the ability to use our electronic devices like phone, tablet or computer and pay as little as possible.

I’ve touched on this topic many times by sharing my tips to avoid paying a fortune for your phone when you go on a trip.

Obviously, budget is very important for many when they go on vacation or on a trip, but there is another very important thing that should not be overlooked: safety.

Security and updates of our devices

Just because we’re on vacation doesn’t mean our devices have to be, too!

Unfortunately, hackers and their malware are not taking a break and are still walking around hoping to scrape our sensitive data, like our passwords for example.

The first step to having healthy devices and being able to use them safely is to have an effective antivirus.

Contrary to what some might think, if it is necessary on a computer, it is also advisable to install one on your phone as well as on your tablet.

Moreover, over time, smartphones have become a favorite target for hackers.

Good news, as many antiviruses offer protection for many devices at once. Basically, you only need one license, and you can kill two birds with one stone and install protection on all the devices you plan to take on a trip.

Since there’s no shortage of offers, we’ve compiled our suggestions for the best antivirus software and security suites for PCs as well as the best antivirus software for Apple’s Android and iOS phones and tablets into two complete files. Do not hesitate to consult them.

Then, before leaving, we must also make sure that we have all our updates, both those of our security software and those of our devices.

Not only does this ensure that we are well protected against all threats, even new ones, but it prevents us from becoming victims of an attack that may be based on a security flaw or vulnerability.

Imagine that you are the victim of an attack because your antivirus, your phone or your web browser has not been updated … It is very easy to do and you will surely blame yourself.

Also, make sure that two-factor authentication is enabled on all of your accounts. It is an extra layer of security which means we have to enter a unique code in addition to our password.

If for some reason one of your passwords falls into the wrong hands, the hacker will not be able to log into your account without this extra code that only you receive.

Finally, since you never know what could happen when you travel, it is suggested to make a complete backup of your devices before going on vacation.

That way, it doesn’t matter if they fall into the wrong hands, if you lose them, or if they get damaged, you’ll have a backup waiting for you at home and all is not lost.

Whether it’s on an SD card, an external hard drive, or even on a cloud computing solution, there’s no shortage of simple, affordable media and solutions for making your backups.

USB cables, cords, charging kits and condoms

Some may not know it, but it is never worth connecting an unknown device to our tablet, phone or computer.

While this includes some “obvious” ones, such as unknown CDs and USB keys, it also asks us to avoid all third-party cables of unknown brands, even generic USB cables and terminals.

Since we’ve already seen the news that cables for hacking computers pretend to be Apple and Android chargers, it’s best not to take any chances and always bring home the devices you use.

You may be wondering why we never charge our devices on public USB stations?

Basically, crowded kiosks like those in airports and internet cafes sometimes contain malware.

If you don’t want to bring the cables you use home to avoid losing them while traveling, for a few dollars you can get a “condom,” which is a small protective device that fits between the USB port and the charging device.

You can easily find them on the web for less than twenty dollars, in particular StarTech.com model.

Then, since you can never be too careful, take the opportunity to outfit yourself with a screen protector designed to block out prying eyes. You never know, sometimes he can save us!

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and shared computers

Now that we’ve covered the physical security of our devices that we take on a trip, there’s still a very important aspect: connection risks.

First, note that public Wi-Fi networks are very insecure. Not only is our information unencrypted when you browse it, but it’s not uncommon for people looking for identity theft and personal information to create free access points to the web,

We connect to it thinking we got a good deal and found Wi-Fi, but they, on the other hand, have access to all our information.

You may see me coming, but the key to safety is to have a good VPN.

To make your choice, I invite you to refer to our opinions and comparisons of the best VPNs so that you do not end up with a free VPN that steals the personal data of its users.

Then, although rare, it is important to talk about Bluetooth connections as they can lead to data theft.

In fact, Bluetooth allows two devices to transfer data freely, so you have to be careful.

For example, if we rent a car while we are staying abroad and we link our phone to the car, our personal information can be stored there without us being able to do anything about it… AVOID!

Then, we can completely deactivate bluetooth during our travels, and so, we prevent any attempt at unwanted communication.

Finally, a quick word about shared computers, as not everyone travels with their own laptop.

The trick is to always assume that the information you enter on these computers can be seen by a third party, even if this is not the case.

In fact, shared computers can have keyboard loggers that record everything we type — our usernames, passwords, credit information, and so on. – can be saved.

Finally, you should never use the “Remember Me” function when using a public computer, and you should always log out after a session. Although it may seem logical to many, it is always a good idea to check multiple times so that you don’t have any unpleasant surprises.

Compliance with the laws and regulations of other countries

Don’t necessarily think about it, but it’s always a good idea to go and check the laws and customs of the country you’re vacationing in.

the A website for travel and tourism from the Government of Canada to include it in the section Travel tips and advice by destinationso it’s really easy to access.

Sometimes, what is considered legal in Canada isn’t necessarily legal elsewhere, and this can give us unpleasant surprises that we could have easily avoided.

Among the most egregious examples, if we find a racy novel saved on one of our devices, it could be considered pornography in another.

Otherwise, music or movies that we have downloaded to our devices to listen to on the plane or in a hotel may get us into trouble with local intellectual property laws or digital resource laws.

In short, as they say, a knowledgeable traveler deserves two!

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