Traveling More Securely
Perhaps it's the economic state we find ourselves in that creates more worry about one's safety and personal information. Taking a vacation or business trip either in the US or abroad (including on a cruise ship) might increase that concern. Here are some travel tips from Kroll, a risk consulting company and subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan.
Lock it up at home. If you’ve entrusted the family dog or Aunt Zoe’s twenty-year old rubber tree to a caretaker while you’re gone, put identity-rich items away before you hand over the house key. Don’t leave out tax returns, credit card statements, utility bills and the like. It’s human nature to be trusting of others, but front-line experience confirms that a significant percentage of identity theft is perpetrated by someone known to the victim.
If you must take along your laptop or PDA-berry, treat it like a cache of cash or fine jewelry. If the room safe isn’t large enough to hold a laptop, consult hotel or cruise ship management and arrange for storage in a centralized main safe or secure holding area. Locking your laptop in your personal quarters -- no matter how smart a hiding place you contrive -- creates needless exposure and worry.
Short-circuit the personal broadcast. Since 2006, US passports have included RFID (radio frequency identification) chips. Some credit cards use them, too. The continuous transmission of radio waves means that your personal details are being regularly aired, as well. Invest in an RFID-blocking passport case or wallet to jam unintentional reception – and any accidental disclosure of your identity. Search ‘RFID-blocking wallet’ online and find a host of sources, including familiar sites like Amazon.com and Magellan.com, where prices are comparable to similar high-quality leather goods.
Be quiet. Cell phones have erased the boundaries between public and private space for many people. Even if you don’t intend to listen, it’s almost impossible to tune out what’s being said just a few feet away. Heighten your own awareness about what you say in public – and how loudly you say it. Whether you’re talking about a pricey souvenir you just bought or keeping tabs on a company project, your words can put you and your company at risk if a thief is within earshot.
Beware the Wi-Fi. One of Kroll’s standard tips for businesses also holds true for the average traveler. Use of wireless networks means your data is being transmitted over open airwaves, similar to a radio transmission. If not properly secured, data can easily be picked up by an uninvited party. Earlier this spring, the FBI warned about hackers cruising wireless networks for this very reason. Set your computer default to require your authority before connecting to a new network. And when it does, be sure the address matches what you typed in.
Keep that Key: When you check out of a hotel where you were issued a card-key to unlock the door to your room, don’t leave the card-key behind. Hold on to it until you’re safely home and can shred or otherwise discard it safely. Some say it’s an urban myth that card-keys hold vital details like credit card numbers, while others report having tested and confirmed the presence of private data coded into the magnetic strip. Even if there’s no definitive answer, why risk it?
Use public computers at your own risk. Public computers, like those found in a hotel’s business center, can contain “keylogger” spyware, which records every keystroke including passwords and account information. Keyloggers make it possible for an identity thief to steal any information entered into the computer during your session. Conducting important company (or personal) business on a public computer also increases your vulnerability to “shoulder surfers” – individuals who look over your shoulder to observe what you are doing and, more importantly, collect the sensitive data you’re entering.
Before you hit the road, make photocopies of the personal material in your wallet: driver’s license, credit cards, insurance cards, etc. – front and back – and store those copies in a safe place at home. Should your wallet be lost or stolen, you won’t be left wondering what was actually taken, and you’ll be able to quickly notify the appropriate agencies about what has taken place. Furthermore, someone at home can always send you the duplicate information you need to get you back to where you want to be -- home.
We've left out a couple of the tips that are more technologically related, but take a look at the full Kroll list.
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