Our technology inevitably comes with us when we travel. Most of us wouldn’t even travel to the end of the block without our smartphone. If you travel and don’t have your technology with you when you need it, it can ruin your day.
Travel smarter and safer by doing some checks before you leave. Use our handy tech device travel checklist. It can save you from lost devices, missing chargers, or a data breach.
1. Check and Update Your Apps
Have you ever sat at an airport gate and wondered why it looks so empty? Then you found that your gate had changed, and you had no idea. You hurry to the other end of the concourse and hope you’re not too late.
How did everyone else know about the gate change? Most likely, they had the airline’s app and received a notification.
Before you leave, download any apps you may need. It’s better if you download them at home using your own Wi-Fi. If you wait until you get to the airport, reception may be a problem.
Some of the apps you may want to grab or update before your trip are:
- Airline app
- Train app
- Hotel app
- Theme park app
- Camping ground app
- Weather app
- City tourism app
2. Review Your Cords & Adapters
Every day, people leave countless chargers and adapters behind. They’re lying around in airports, restaurants and train stations all over the world. Be sure to bring a spare charger for your laptop, tablet or phone. Otherwise, you may end up paying a hefty price for a new charger at a gift shop. Your device could also go belly up if you lose its charger and can’t get a new one quickly.
3. Check Your Power
A good way to make sure you have the power you need is to buy a small rechargeable battery. You can find these in most larger shops or online. They are small “blocks” that can hold a charge and power a mobile phone in an emergency.
This extra backup also helps you avoid potential “juice-jacking” connections. These are fake or tampered public USB charging ports. Hackers use them to steal your data when you plug them in.
4. Check Your Mobile Plan
If you are travelling abroad, check your mobile phone contract. If you do not have the option to call internationally, you may not be able to text or call home either.
Mobile phone providers can add an international feature to your plan, but ask how much it costs. It can be expensive if you make long calls or use mobile data. An alternative is to set up a VoIP app that you can use when travelling with your office, friends or family. These allow both calls and SMS, but you need an internet connection.
5. Buy a VPN
While free Wi-Fi is a welcome thing when you are out and about, it can also be dangerous. You do not know who else is using that Wi-Fi. A hacker on the connection can easily steal your data if you are not protected.
It’s better to use either your mobile provider’s connection or a virtual private network (VPN) app. VPN plans are inexpensive and ensure that your data remains encrypted even if you use a public Wi-Fi.
6. Check Your Backup
Unfortunately, mishaps happen all the time when you travel. You may leave your phone behind on a boat, lose your luggage or have your device stolen in a crowded area.
10% of all laptop thefts happen at airports.
Do not lose all your data with the device! Back up your devices to the cloud or local storage before you travel. This will ensure that you do not lose the valuable information on your device. Plus, you will not have to think twice about issuing a “wipe my device” command remotely if you need to.
7. Check a Security of your Device
Make your devices as secure as possible before you head out. When we’re travelling, our minds are occupied with other things. Thus, you may not think about checking your antivirus or avoiding suspicious phishing links.
Protect your devices before you use them:
- Anti-virus/anti-malware
- DNS filtering
- Screen lock with passcode
- Disabled sharing functions
- VPN application
- Find-My-Device function enabled
8. Do Additional Double-Checks
What do we mean by double-checking? Use the buddy system as a backup. When the family gets off the plane, each person should check with the other to make sure they have all their devices.
If you’re travelling alone, have a friend or family member check via text message. Do you have your charger with you? Is your VPN turned on?
These little reminders can go a long way toward avoiding digital travel nightmares.
Want to Increase a Protection of Your Devices Now
Don’t leave your devices unprotected. Doing so could mean a breach of your banking app or personal data. Contact Onyx IT for device security solutions and reduce your risk.
Article used with permission from The Technology Press.
