As the schools entered the summer vacation on June 16, the citizens began their preparations for the holiday. If you have planned a suitable holiday without being a victim of fake holiday sites and villa scams, there are many points you need to pay attention to while on vacation. Alev Akkoyunlu, Operations Director of Bitdefender Antivirus Turkey distributor, Alev Akkoyunlu, who warns users, parents, children and company employees who are making various preparations to spend a pleasant summer holiday, against digital security breaches that may occur on their devices, lists how to keep devices and personal data safe during the holidays.
With the warming of the weather and the holidays in schools on June 16, preparations for the holiday began. If you have planned a suitable holiday without being a victim of fake holiday sites and villa scams, there are many points you need to pay attention to while on vacation. As much as you take precautions to protect yourself from the sun on holiday, it is necessary to take precautions against various dangers waiting for electronic devices. Alev Akkoyunlu, Operations Director of Bitdefender Antivirus Turkey distributor Laykon Bilişim, who draws attention to the fact that users who neglect to protect their devices and personal data may have to interrupt their holiday pleasure, lists how vacationers, children and company employees can keep themselves safe from digital threats.
Digital security advice for vacationers
1. Make sure to update your smartphone, tablet or laptop with security updates.
2. Update the passwords of all your online accounts to protect against potential phishing attacks. Choose dissimilar, strong passwords. Additionally, you can use multi-factor (MFA) or two-factor authentication (2FA) solutions.
3. Always back up your data in case of theft or security breach of the device.
4. When you leave the hotel, leave devices such as external hard drives, laptops and USB sticks in a safe place in your hotel, such as a safe, to prevent data theft and protect your devices. Enable passwords and PINs on all your mobile devices to protect your data in case the device is left unattended or lost.
5. Avoid connecting to free public Wi-Fi in restaurants, airports, cafes or hotels. Also, choose encrypted networks and don't forget to use a VPN to prevent snooping of online activity.
6. Use an award-winning security solution that can protect all your devices, such as Bitdefender Total Security, to protect against malicious attacks while surfing the web on vacation. Regularly monitor your accounts for suspicious activity.
7. Disable automatic Bluetooth connection on your device to prevent cyber attackers from publicly connecting to your device.
8. Information you share personally can be used by attackers to defraud friends and family. Therefore, be very careful when posting about your activities and location on social media platforms.
Digital safety advice for kids going on vacation
1. Do not give up control. Check your child's internet history occasionally. Watch out for exposure to content that is not age-appropriate.
2. Openly share and alert your concerns. Set rules for your child's computer, tablet, and smartphone use and talk to them about what you're worried about. Explain what you allow and what you do not allow, and why. Warn your child not to reply to spam messages, instant messages and emails that contain obscenity and aggression.
3. Pay attention to applications. Advise your child to be careful when downloading mobile apps. Some of the apps may contain offensive adware and malware that send messages to toll lines. Download games and apps only from official app stores like Google Play and App Store. Prevent them from making unconscious in-app purchases.
4. Edit the privacy settings together. When your child creates an account on social media, help him with privacy settings and encourage him to limit the content he will be exposed to. Know which social media sites your child uses and make sure you know their online friends in real life as well.
5. Make sure the cameras on the devices are not being accessed without permission. Be cautious about app permissions. For example, a flashlight app definitely doesn't need to access the camera. Check the permissions of the apps that want to access the camera and see if they are trustworthy. Global security software company Bitdefender Antivirus's "Webcam Protection" feature identifies if your computer or laptop is being abused by rogue apps and protects you from cybercriminals trying to hijack your privacy.
6. Use security software that includes parental control. Get a security solution with parental control where you can monitor your child's online activities. Bitdefender Parental Control blocks inappropriate content, restricts internet access to certain hours, and allows parents to remotely monitor their children's online activities. Bitdefender Parental Control, which is included in Bitdefender Internet Security and Bitdefender Total Security products, is also available as a standalone application.
Digital Security Advice for Employees Going on Vacation
1. Be mindful of what you share on social media. If a company employee is sharing a public story or post from vacation, it could provide fodder for a hacker to create a convincing phishing email. People take precautions during the holidays. If you see an email that looks like it came from the property you booked, of course you open it, and it could contain a malicious link and attachment that poses a serious security risk to both you and your company.
2. Avoid public Wi-Fi hotspots such as airports and hotels and be cautious. This is the most fundamental law of cybersecurity, but people remain complacent and can use public Wi-Fi networks while on vacation. Only use these networks if you have to, but be sure to activate the VPN.
3. Leave your work-related devices at home. People often overlook security on vacation, and that fact includes protecting their physical devices. Imagine taking your laptop full of sensitive customer data to the beach, leaving your computer on the desk for 5 minutes on the way to grab a tropical drink, and when you return, your computer is gone.
4. Connect to the corporate network with temporary accounts. Company employees should be encouraged to use temporary disposable travel accounts while away. This way, even if the account is compromised, the data will be protected as it is no longer active on the corporate network.