8 Tips for Traveling With Tech
When we travel, it’s nearly impossible not to take our electronics with us. Most of us wouldn’t travel to the end of our block without our smartphones. Not having your technology readily available when traveling can hinder your day. Here are our 8 tips for traveling with tech.
Before you travel, make sure you check that your tech is secure. We put together a useful tech travel checklist. You won’t have to worry about having your data compromised, losing your device, or missing a charger.
1. Check Out Your Apps
You ever sit at your airport gate and wonder why it’s so empty? Only to find out they changed your gate. Hoping that you have enough time to run to the other end of the concourse.
How did the rest of the group find out about the new gate? They probably had the airline’s app and got a notification.
Download any necessary apps before you depart for your trip. It is preferable to download them using your personal Wi-Fi at home. Reception can sometimes be a problem at some airports.
Here are some apps you should consider downloading before a trip:
- Airline’s App
- Metro App
- Hotel App
- Theme Park App
- Camping Ground App
- Weather App
- City Tourism App
2. Double-Check Cords & Adaptors
Every day, people leave behind countless chargers and adapters. They can be found all over in restaurants, train stations, and airports. Bring an extra charger for your phone, tablet, or laptop just in case. If not, you can end up having to pay a lot more for a new charger in a gift store. If you can’t get a replacement, you could lose the use of your device entirely while out of town.
3. Check Your Power
A smart way to make sure you always have power is by investing in a compact charging battery. These can be bought either online or at any major retailer. These are small “blocks” that can quickly charge up a cell phone.
Having this as a second backup will help you avoid plugging unto a port that will steal your juice. We highly suggest staying away from public USM charging ports. When you plug in, hackers are more likely to steal your info.
4. Review Your Mobile Plan
If you’re leaving the country, you should check your mobile plan. You might not be able to text or phone home if you don’t have access to international calling.
Carriers can easily add international capabilities, but make sure to ask about pricing. If you’re making long calls or using mobile data, it can become very expensive. Setting up a VoIP app that you can use while traveling to communicate with your company, friends, or family is an alternative. These allow for both calls and SMS, but you will need an internet connection.
5. Add a VPN
When you’re traveling, free Wi-Fi can feel like a great convenience, but it can be risky. Who else has access to that Wi-Fi is unknown to you. If you don’t properly protect yourself, a hacker watching the connection can simply grab your data.
Protect your internet usage by using a virtual private network (VPN) app instead. A VPN will keep your data protected even when you’re using free public Wi-Fi.
6. Check Your Backup
Unfortunately, screw-ups can happen while traveling. You can lose your phone on a boat, misplace your luggage or have a device stolen in a crowd.
Did you know 10% of all laptop thefts happen at the airport?
Don’t let a misplaced device be the reason you lose all your data. Before you go on a trip, make a backup of all your devices to the cloud or local storage. This makes sure you won’t lose important data if your device goes missing. Plus, you will confidently “wipe my device” if the command is necessary.
7. Check Your Device Security
Make your devices as secure as possible before you hit the road. When we’re traveling, our minds are occupied by other things. So, you may not think to check your antivirus or avoid suspicious phishing links.
Protect your devices by using:
- Antivirus/anti-malware
- DNS filtering
- Screen lock with passcode
- Sharing features turned off
- VPN application
- Find-My-Device feature turned on
8. Check Your Double-Checks
How can we check our double-checks? Use the buddy system as a backup. When your family is getting off the place, each one should check with the others that they have their devices.
If you’re traveling alone, ask a friend or member of your family to text you to check on you. Did you grab your charger? Is your VPN active?
These small reminders go a long way when they prove useful.
Enhance Your Device Security Now
Following these 8 tips for traveling with tech will help keep your devices secure at all times. Don’t leave them vulnerable. You don’t want a breach of your personal or banking information. To lower your risk, get in touch with us for device security solutions today.
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STG IT Consulting Group proudly provides IT Services in Greater Los Angeles and the surrounding areas for all of your IT needs.
