Traveling opens you up to so many new things: new people, new places, new experiences, and… new dangers. Whether you’re a tourist or business traveler, you’re never fully safe when you’re in a foreign country.
From hackers to pickpockets to scammers, there are no limits to the creativity of criminals, and you need to be informed on the main threats and ways to stay safe. Below are 6 easy safety precautions to take before your next trip.
Secure Your Passwords
Travelers often expose themselves to various cyber threats during their trips. Securing your passwords is essential if you want to reduce the risk of getting hacked through malicious links or public wifi. That means taking a look at all of your current passwords and making them as strong as possible.
Once you get back home, it would also be wise to change the passwords to your most important accounts, such as bank accounts and email. By following these steps, you’ll ensure that your passwords are as safe as they can get during and after your trip!
Make Copies Of Your Documents
Losing important documents is one of the worst things you can imagine while traveling, which is why we all try so hard to keep them safe during trips. Maybe you carry them with you everywhere, or maybe you keep them in a safe in your hotel room. Still, there’s always the possibility that you’ll get robbed or run into pickpockets.
That’s why it’s a good idea to have copies of your most important travel documents. It can be as simple as taking a photo of them with your smartphone. To be extra safe, make a few printed copies as well and keep them separately: leave some at the hotel and carry some with you at all times.
Keep Your Family And Friends Posted
This is especially important if you’re traveling solo. Give a detailed itinerary of your trip to at least one person prior to leaving and keep them posted throughout your trip. If anything happens, they’ll know where to find you.
Read Up On Your Destination
Even if the country you’re going to is considered safe, there can always be certain neighborhoods that are best to be avoided. You wouldn’t want to accidentally book a hotel in a high-crime area, right?
Do some detailed research before your trip. If you know any locals, they’re the best people to ask about these things. Also, figure out the numbers for emergency services.
Get A VPN
You probably use a lot of public wifi when you’re traveling, but did you know that public wifi is a huge cybersecurity risk? When you connect to public wifi, you never know if it’s encrypted or not, and you also can’t know if there isn’t a hacker at the other end. Unencrypted wifi means that a hacker may access your connection and steal your data.
If you travel a lot and use many different networks, it’s only a matter of time before you connect to one of these malicious networks.
A VPN can protect you from these dangers. When you connect to a VPN server, all of your data becomes encrypted, and hackers can no longer steal any of your data.
Beware Of Scammers
Scammers love to target tourists because of how naive and lost they can be. Sometimes, you might not even know you’ve been scammed by taking a taxi that charges 10 times more than is considered normal.
Other times, you might get scammed into buying fake tickets. Whenever buying any product or service, make sure to only buy from official organizations and read up on them beforehand.
Beware Of Pickpockets
Keep all of your important belongings, such as your phone, wallet, and documents, safe and zipped up wherever you go, and try to avoid large crowds.
Pickpockets tend to target people who look like the classic tourist: backpack, camera, shorts, and a buttoned shirt. If possible, avoid looking like this, especially if you’ll be in crowded areas where pickpockets prevail.
Conclusion
So those were the main safety precautions to take before your next trip. Even if the country you’re visiting seems safe, always remain wary. Criminals are everywhere, and tourists will always be their first targets.
So if you’re currently planning a trip, please make sure to add these 6 steps to your plan to make you an unlikely target for pickpockets and hackers. Ensuring your safety will make your trip even more enjoyable!
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