Technology Protection Tips for Holiday Travelers

Traveling is one way that many of us are attempting to feel less isolated and alone during the COVID-19 pandemic, but a certain level of caution must be exercised when it comes to the technology we use while we travel. Here are some ways you can keep your technology safe and in check while traveling this holiday season.

Be Cautious of Your Internet Connections

A secure Internet connection is hard to come by while traveling, so you need to make sure that you are being especially cautious in places where large groups of people gather, like airports and hotels. You can never be too sure of what’s lurking on wireless networks, especially in places like the above that are not necessarily secured the way your on-premises network might be. You should always use a virtual private network when working remotely or while out of the office.

It’s important, however, to note that there is a big difference between consumer-based VPN solutions and commercial ones. Consumer-based VPNs like NordVPN, TunnelBear, and ExpressVPN might be effective for traveling, but they are not commercial solutions. They encrypt data that is sent over Wi-Fi, but remember that you get what you pay for. If you want to secure your business’ connections, then you should be prepared to work with high-quality products like the ones SCW recommends.

Enable Multi-Factor Authentication and Location Services on Mobile Devices

If you have ever lost a device, then you know how stressful it can be. It’s even worse if you have lost it while traveling and not in the comfort of your own home. You should take extra precautions in these situations to make sure that your data is protected, like enabling multi-factor authentication and location services whenever possible. This will help you protect your data and potentially even track down your device should you lose it.

Implement Mobile Device Policies

In the event you cannot find your device, it is important that you have the capability to wipe all data from it as a precaution. Having device policies in place for each user on your network that might use a mobile device is a crucial step.

Going along with this, you also want to keep in mind that doing so means that any data stored on the device will be gone for good. Therefore, it is important that this is not the only place this data is stored. All of this data should really be stored on your business’ central network storage and backed up regularly to prevent data loss.

SCW wants to help your business stay safe while your employees are traveling. To learn more, reach out to us at (509) 534-1530.