expert
OPINION
JONAS WALKER , SECURITY STRATEGIST , FORTIGUARD LABS
Jonas Walker , Security Strategist at FortiGuard Labs , provides critical tips to ensure cyberdefences are robust while travelling overseas .
Essential cyberhygiene tips for safe and secure travel
ith summer travel season upon
W us , many are eagerly planning their trips abroad . As the excitement builds , it ’ s essential to remember that increased travel brings with it heightened cyber-risks .
Whether you ’ re heading to a tropical beach or a bustling city , practicing cyberhygiene is crucial to keeping your digital life secure .
Why is practising cyberhygiene essential for travellers ?
Cyberhygiene is like personal hygiene ; it ’ s all about having a daily routine . That includes good practices to ensure that your environment stays clean , especially when travelling .
When you travel , you typically carry a device , a computer , or a smartphone . These devices , known as endpoints , typically connect to different networks , whether that be a hotel , a corporate network , public Wi-Fi , or at a conference . Endpoints are thus the last stage of a network , making them the most at risk .
If , while travelling , your endpoint device is infected with malicious software like viruses , there ’ s a chance you could infect your corporate network . If threat actors can gain access to your specific device , then they can gain access to your corporate network . With this , threat actors have a foot inside the network , which allows them to move laterally through the networks and scan the network from inside . This often leads to ransomware down the line at the later stage of an attack .
What can travellers do to protect themselves against cyberattacks ?
The most important point is to patch your systems . This should be of high priority whether you ’ re travelling or not . A good example is when you open the App Store or Google Play Store and update the apps on your smartphone . Next time you do this , check out the release notes and why the vendor is recommending you update their app . More often than not , it ’ s not about a feature or a new UI . In most cases , it ’ s about security features like a bug that has been fixed . If these apps are not updated , threat actors who are aware of these issues , as disclosed by the vendor , can take advantage of these vulnerabilities .
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