How many international travelers engage in unsafe behavior online?

When traveling abroad, a little effort can go a long way in keeping your devices and data safe. Travel and cybersecurity experts recommend following a few simple steps and best practices when in another country. But how many people actually follow this advice?

There are three tips that more than half of international travelers follow most often or every time they go abroad. About half (52%) of people notify their financial institutions about their travel plans and enable “Find My Device” on the smart devices they travel with, and 51% make sure their devices are fully updated before departure.

However, some expert advice is largely ignored. For example, less than a third of international travelers use a VPN to access the internet while traveling, and just 29% take the time to familiarize themselves with the online privacy laws of the country they are traveling to.

But what do experts say is different about traveling abroad? John Hering, senior manager of government affairs, cybersecurity policy and defense at Microsoft, shared his thoughts on what travelers should know before leaving home.

According to Hering, the real risk lies in the lack of information about security in a new country.

“Whenever you travel to a new place, you should accept that you have less information about the relative security of the ICT environment and practice cyber hygiene,” he said. “This means making sure your software is up to date and patched, enabling multi-factor authentication on all accounts, and using features such as anti-malware protection and VPN services before traveling. Travelers should also carefully consider what connected devices they take with them. on a risk-mitigation journey – this applies to laptops and phones, but also to other connected consumer products such as tablets, smart watches and even portable gaming systems.”

More tips for traveling abroad

International travel carries unique risks, but there are many ways to stay safe abroad. Here are some additional tips on how to do this:

• Decide which VPN is right for you. Subscribe to one of the best VPNs for travel to protect your data on public Wi-Fi without compromising your connection speeds.
• Change your passwords when you return. Identity thieves don’t always attack immediately. Changing your passwords when you’re at home can prevent account takeover and prevent password theft. Use a secure password manager to ease the transition and keep all your accounts safe.
• Understand the risks associated with juicing. Read how you can prevent juicing and find out what to do if you suspect you are a victim.

This history was produced by All about cookies and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media.