As the weather warms up, many South Africans are planning their summer holidays. Whether with family, friends, or solo – a long weekend getaway, staycation, workation, or long-haul adventure – the summer season provides a welcome break for those wanting to shift location and switch off.
As we mark Tourism Month in September, Martin Lee, Cisco Talos EMEA lead, says most travellers are vigilant of pickpockets and tourist scams, but they also need to consider their cyber-safety.
“Technology allows us to make the most of time away from home. Unfortunately, the holidays also present an opportunity for cybercriminals to catch us off guard,” warns Lee. “Being aware of common attacks and how to avoid them helps us stay secure and enjoy time away without worrying about security.”
The experts at Cisco Talos share four tips for cyber-safe travel:
Physical Security
Think about the physical security of your devices and leave them safely at home if possible. If you are bringing a device, back up your data and move confidential information to secure storage. Make sure you have alternative access to critical functionality. For example, can you access 2-factor authentication requests if your phone is lost or stolen?
While traveling, keep devices hidden and stay aware of your surroundings. Thieves often sneakily strike in crowded areas or when you’re distracted.
Public Networks versus 4g/5g
While traveling, it’s tempting to use public networks/ WiFi to save on data roaming charges. However, paying for secure data may be worth it. Public networks can be risky, with potential threats from malicious users or fake networks designed to trick you.
Criminals snooping a network can steal cookies or session tokens, accessing your confidential services. They might intercept or alter your data from financial or private apps, or even set up a man-in-the-middle attack to impersonate key systems.
Hotel Rooms and Home Rental
When travelling, take a few extra precautions to bolster your security:
Log out of any devices such as Smart TVs, and do not store any credentials. Otherwise, subsequent guests to the hotel/ rental property may be able to access your accounts.
Room keys can be cloned or stolen, so don’t leave valuables or devices unsecured even in an otherwise locked location.
Similarly, respectable networks provided for guests may be being shared with dubious characters or may have been tampered with by previous guests to harvest credentials or session tokens.
When booking accommodation, double check that the booking site is genuine and not a cloned site that will take your money, but not provide a valid booking. Never agree to pay for accommodation outside of the official booking mechanism, you won’t have any recourse to get a refund if the booking is fraudulent.
Festivals, Fiestas and Fan Experience
The holiday season is full of festivals, sporting events, and concerts. While most people are just there to have fun, stay alert! Criminals can quickly swipe devices, upload malware, or extract your data:
Avoid handing your device to a stranger to take photos, or you might be left with just memories.
Be cautious of QR codes as they are hard to verify without following the link. Criminals often swap genuine QR codes with malicious ones that direct you to a malicious site serving up malware.
Similarly, be aware of offers that seem too good to be true or require sharing personal details. They may not have your best interests at heart.
Most trips are free of any issues, but it’s not worth taking the chance. “Keep your trip incident-free by keeping your wits about you, your devices fully patched and backed up, and try to use mobile connections over free WiFi,” concludes Lee.