Keep a close eye on your data if you’re at the Rio Olympics
Free Wi-Fi hot spots can be data danger zones for web users at the Games
Personal safety should be a key concern for anyone at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in August, and so should cybersecurity.
The Games will attract not only athletes and spectators, but hackers eager to sniff Wi-Fi traffic, snatch data and infect devices with malware.
So, taking steps to safeguard your digital information is as crucial these days as protecting your money and belongings.
Losing cash, credit cards, a passport or visa to a pickpocket or purse snatcher can ruin a vacation, but identity theft can be even worse, and it can all begin anywhere you use an unsecure Wi-Fi hot spot.
On its “Cybersecurity while travelling” website, the Government of Canada warns us to “use free computing resources with the assumption that any information you enter could be seen by an unauthorized third party.”
The Rio Olympics will no doubt be third-party central in terms of hackers.
Just as it’s smart to travel with as few valuables as possible to cut the risk of losing them or having them stolen, the same goes for the amount and sensitivity of data you take with you.
Many countries monitor information passing through their networks, so travellers must realize any personal or corporate data stored on devices can be compromised.
Mobile devices can be hijacked and infected with malware, used to track the owner’s movements via GPS and to even activate the device’s microphone or camera. Hackers can intercept personal communications and use the devices to also infect connected networks.
Not only are things such as tablets, laptops and smartphones prime tar- gets for data theft, but we should assume arenas, hotels, Internet cafés and any public Wi-Fi spots are fishing holes for cyberscammers.
In fact, hackers have been known to set up free Internet hot spots for the express purpose of attracting prey, by naming their Wi-Fi access points to appear related to a hotel or legitimate business. “Hotel Lux Wi-Fi” may be legit, but “Secure Hotel Lux Wi-Fi” could be the bait.
The best way to protect your data is to leave your devices at home, and the second-best way is to keep any vital information backed up on your home computer or hard drive rather than on the smartphone you travel with. You can join a VPN (virtual private network) service, which encrypts data between devices and the Internet while hiding customers’ IP addresses. Some charge a membership fee and some offer free online subscriptions.
Check user ratings and specs on sites such as vpncomparison.org, because some VPN services have been known to be questionable.
Communication Security Estab- lishment Canada (CSE), the organization that looks after the protection of electronic information at the national level, has the following tips for travellers:
Password protect your device and change the password before setting out on a trip. It’s also a good idea to periodically change your password when you get back.
Identify the device as your property and how you can be contacted if it is lost. The information can be engraved on the device or on a sticker attached to it, or highlighted in a screen saver. That way, if an honest person finds it they’ll know how to get in touch.
Set your device to erase all the data if invalid passwords have been entered after a number of failed attempts.
Enable your device’s location detection and anti-theft features, such as data encryption.
Don’t leave your device unattended, but if you have to, remove the battery, expanded memory and SIM card and keep them with you.
Find out from your phone/Internet service provider, or your company’s IT department, whether your device will work at your destination before you head out.
Don’t ever charge your device via a USB connection of an unknown or unsecured computer.
An unsecure Bluetooth setting leaves a device vulnerable to hacking. Disable the function before a trip. Email Henry Stancu at hstancu@thestar.ca.