25 Travel Safety Tips (Digital Online Security and Offline Security)

[harlan4096]

How to Stay Safe While on the Go. The Best Security Practices for Travelers

Summer is already in full motion and people are busy getting their long-awaited vacation days (or planning upcoming free time). The more exotic the destination, the better, right? Even if we’re not traveling to still-wild destinations or targeting the opposing ends of the planet, we still try to score a new destination as often as possible. But our appetite for travel novelty can come with its own risks.

To help you plan the vacation you want with minimal risk, I’ve put together this list of essential travel safety tips for your online and offline security. Read through, see what can happen, take a few simple precautions and everything should be wonderful. Here’s everything you need to know in order to stay safe when traveling, both digitally and otherwise.

Intro: A Few Less-Known Travel Security Risks

Before we dive into the 25 best security practices for travelers (further down below), out of which some are evergreen advice, I should get everyone up to speed with a wave of more recent threats. It’s no secret that we live in increasingly dangerous times, from a cybersecurity standpoint. Hackers, thieves and malicious actors of all kinds know no bounds in finding creative ways to compromise your security and do harm.

Most people aren’t even aware, sadly, of all the bad things which can happen, especially with the most recent developments enabled by tech. Here’s the scoop on current travel security issues and risks you may not know about.

A. Hidden Spy Cameras in Airbnb Rentals

A recent wave of horror stories featuring Airbnb rentals secretly spying on their customers has inflamed the media and popular opinion along with it. Unfortunately, though the gig economy (which Airbnb is a part of) has many advantages, accountability is not its strong suit.

Airbnb hosts should be very motivated to keep their customers happy in order to get good reviews and returning business, so it’s generally pretty safe to book a stay through Airbnb. But some malicious hosts are secretly taking advantage of their clients’ trust by spying on them with a hidden camera.

The issue is very upsetting, especially since some clients reported that the Airbnb ad for the property they rented described it as ‘cozy and romantic’, only for them to discover that there’s a hidden camera directly above their bed. Privacy infringement is too mild to describe it.

Of course, such intrusion is highly illegal, but obviously, everyone would prefer not to be a victim in the first place. Airbnb is aware of the problem and says they are coordinating efforts to crack down on hosts who use cameras. But until the problem is contained, here’s what you can do to protect yourself.

Here’s how to stay safe from spy cameras in your Airbnb / hotel room:

#1. LOOK FOR OBVIOUS HIDDEN CAMERAS.

Check the entire room for potentially hidden cameras before you make yourself comfortable. Common hiding places include lamps, wall paintings or decorations, decorative objects on the nightstand, alarm clocks, lightbulbs, smoke alarms, etc.

#2. SCAN THE PLACE FOR HIDDEN CAMERAS WITH YOUR PHONE

If a first superficial search doesn’t reveal any cameras but you still want to make sure, you can use a special app on your phone to detect the subtle glint of a camera lens. This helps you discover secret cameras that are too well-hidden for you to detect with the naked eye.

You can download a hidden camera detector app from the Google App Store (for Android) and from the Apple App Store (for Mac OS).

#3. SCAN THE NETWORK FOR CONNECTED DEVICES (CAMERAS)

You can also use your phone for connecting to the host’s Wi-Fi network and checking what other devices are connected to it. In most cases, this is another great way to detect cameras, which need internet access in order to live-stream (I know, it’s a creepy thought).

Connect your computer to the location’s Wi-Fi network, then scan that network with the Fing app. It will report back on what other devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi, so you can easily spot cameras. You can get Fing on both iPhones and Android phones.

Continue Reading