Moving abroad is stressful, especially if youβre doing so to study. Youβre completely on your own in a new place. Yet, itβs a great opportunity to get a lot of life experience, learn a new language among natives, meet new people and make friends, and of course β travel the world. However, most of the time, Ensure Strong will be worrying about optimizing your schedule, so you can both work and entertain yourself while youβre there.
Amidst all the chaos, itβs essential not to skip essentials, though. New locations come with new digital routines, which can be full of bad actors and cyber attacks.
Since youβre not at home and possibly donβt speak the language, you are more vulnerable than locals. Thankfully, there are a few things you can do to protect your devices as well as your personal information from theft and misuse.
Secure your devices β well in advance
Before arrival, you may be focused on packing, buying plane tickets, and arranging a tour around a new town. Yet digital security should also be on your mind even before you board the plane.
Set strong passwords on each one, including your phone, laptop, and tablet, and enable biometric authentication if possible. Donβt ever leave them unlocked.
Find and activate the tracking feature on each piece of tech gear. If one is lost or stolen, it will help you track its location or remotely delete everything from the device so the bad actors donβt use your sensitive data. Thirdly, install all relevant updates to avoid new hacking attacks and minimize your gadgetβs vulnerabilities.
Protect your Internet connection
Another vital protection advice is to find the best VPN software. Since you will arrive at a new destination and will not have a stable connection for a while, you will be connecting to the nearest hotspot. Most of the time, those are open to the public and free to use. Unfortunately, thatβs also a perfect place for hackers to infiltrate and steal personal data or infect devices with malware.
Sometimes, you donβt have a choice and need to connect. In that case, a VPN will protect your devices and personal information. It completely encrypts your connection once you enable it, no matter what network you are using. It reroutes it through a secure server, so all the data looks like a mess of code to unauthorized users. Similarly, the data you receive is encrypted, posing no danger to your device.
Even a dedicated IP VPN can give you access to geo-blocked content on whichever device youβre using, a great bonus when youβre travelling abroad. You can choose practically any location from the serviceβs list and see the local media, news, and more.
Practice good online habits
You probably carry all your documents and wallet in a separate pocket with a zipper because you worry about them so much. You also donβt go on walks in unknown neighbor hoods in the middle of the night. Well, you should be treating your digital safety the same way, as itβs just as important as your physical safety.
Make sure you pay attention to your privacy
Avoid sharing too much of your personal information online. Even if you visit a new coffee shop or a cultural landmark, donβt share a photo with your exact location to avoid stalkers. Turn on multi-factor authentication on all accounts, from banking to social media. If your password is stolen, this will serve as an additional layer of protection, as the criminal will have to get hold of your email or phone to log in.
Donβt get scammed!
Although itβs easier said than done, you can always learn how to differentiate phishing attempts from genuine messages and calls.
Ensure Strong a new person abroad, you will be targeted by scammers with too-good-to-be-true job proposals, messages from local educational institutions, and fake emails from popular subscription services. Always check if the email or phone number is real and listed on the official webpage.
Further, do not click on unknown links or download suspicious attachments. This essential technology advice can save you from costly scams and identity theft while living abroad.
Keep your data safe
Make sure you are ready in case your device is compromised. Back up all your files and data on a hard drive or cloud storage. Do not save any sensitive documentation on your phone, such as passport scans or login information.
Ensure Strong you absolutely need to, use a password manager in the browser to store your credentials. Have a trusted contact both at the new location and at home to help you restore your accounts and data when needed.
Final Words
Studying abroad is a unique experience that can help you broaden your horizons. While most people take care of their physical safety at a new destination, not everyone treats digital safety the same. With the tips above, you will be fully prepared for travel. Visit my blog.
