Tech Tips This Holiday Season

To help with this holiday season, we want to share a few Tech Tips for your holiday travels! 

1. Keep an eye on your electronics.

No matter where you go, don’t leave your laptop, phone, or tablet unattended. While the majority of focus today is on cybersecurity, theft is still a real element of that. Keep your devices tucked away and off of chairs, counters, or tabletops when not using them. 

2. Use a VPN to protect your privacy.

Public internet connections are not secure, even if the airport, hotel, or restaurant Wi-Fi requires a password to connect. If you aren’t using Virtual Private Network (VPN), your privacy and information are at high risk. A VPN helps encrypt your data so that hackers who are sharing public Wi-Fi networks can’t access it easily. Use a VPN and have antivirus software set up on all your devices.

3. Back up your data before you leave.

Backing up data can help to ensure that you don’t lose the irreplaceable moments from your life. Whether your mobile devices or computer is lost or stolen, safely backing up and storing your photos and videos will allow you to retain that data in the event of a catastrophe. Another way to help with this is to make sure that all you have updated the operating systems and software on all your devices, making them fully patched and up to date!

4. Save your important documents.

Physical documents can be damaged, lost, or stolen while traveling. Scanning and saving these documents in your phone, through a cloud data storage service such as Google Drive or iCloud, allows you to easily recall them if need be, while also keeping them safe and secure. You should also employ strong passwords on your laptop, phone, and tablet to protect these documents for your privacy.

5. Protect your whereabouts and private information.

While we all like to share photos of our travels with our friends, there’s no need to do it while you are traveling! Save the social media posts for once you’ve returned home. Besides preventing thieves from targeting your house, this will help to prevent cyber criminals from using your information to impersonate a hotel in an attempt to steal your credit card information.

The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency is also a great resource, with tips on everything from email and communication to mobile devices to network defense and enterprise security to privacy and so much more! Info Advantage can be your technology ally, from useful resources to proactive care to 24/7 maintenance, it’s our goal to help you improve efficiency, increase productivity, and secure your technology.

We hope you and yours enjoy a wonderful holiday. Please reach out to us if you have any IT needs!