Did you know that when you plug your iPhone into a public USB port at an airport you might be putting your personal data at risk? By adopting a privacy-aware mindset when traveling, you can protect yourself from potential privacy problems such as identity theft, juice jacking, card skimming, and fraud. During each stage of your trip, there are easy steps you can take to protect your privacy!
4 Steps To Protect Your Privacy When You Travel:
1. Protect your privacy before you go
The best privacy protection begins before your trip even starts. Start by anticipating potential privacy problems ahead of time (like by reading articles such as this one 😉 ). By anticipating what future issues might pop up, you can take a few simple steps to protect yourself.
2. Protect your privacy at the airport
There are several moments during your time at the airport in which you should be especially privacy-aware including when you are connecting to the WiFi and charging your devices.
Use a USB Data Blocker or JuiceBack Data Blocking Charging Cable when charging up your devices. When you charge up your devices at public USB ports, you might be at risk for juice jacking. Juice jacking occurs when hackers compromise these public USB ports so that they can steal your personal data or install malware onto your iPhone or tablet.
This Spy-Fy USB Data Blocker can easily fit into your packed bag. You plug your device into the data blocker and then can plug the data blocker into the USB charging port. The data blocker prevents files from being secretly transferred from your devices in case you plug into a compromised USB port.
3. Protect your privacy during your trip
Passports are travel essentials, but a mishandled passport could lead to identity theft. Both at the airport and during your trip you should protect your passport. Know your rights when it comes to having your passport copied or handled. Having full scans of your passport could increase the risk of having your identity compromised. In early 2019, Marriott International faced negative press in the news after 5 million passport numbers were stolen by hackers. Spy-Fy has introduced a solution to this privacy problem with a passport cover that aims to prevent identity fraud. Their passport cover prevents others from taking a full scan of the Dutch passport. Sensitive information is protected and covered so that the passport holder is in control of who can see this data. An incomplete scan of a passport is much less useful for identity thieves. Perhaps this could be a global solution. (Read more about Spy-Fy’s Passport Cover here!).
Protecting your cards when you travel can help keep you safe from card skimming. Using an RFID Blocking Card or an RFID Blocking Card Holder can keep your cards from being secretly read. This prevents identity theft and fraud. The RFID Blocking Card transmits a blocking signal which provides active protection to protect your data. Putting an RFID Blocking Card in your wallet is an easy way to protect your cards in your favorite wallet.
If you are looking for a new wallet, you might consider the RFID Blocking Card Holder to keep your cards
