Protecting Your Laptop Travel Companion

Does anyone travel without a laptop or tablet computer these days?  It seems that ‘kids’ young and old are traveling with their technical buddies.  You see far more people with a technical device of some kind than a newspaper.

Gone are the days when we read what was printed on newsprint each day as we are well into the new and what some would call ‘improved’ information age.  However, along with several pages of newsprint, we’ve lost some of our identity and data protection.  After all, what’s the worst thing a newspaper can do to you?  Paper cut?  Leave smudges of ink on your hands?  This not so new threat involving traveling with computers and hooking into the internet any place you want needs to be discussed.  We need some guidelines and some rules.  Don’t you just love rules?

Here we go, these are simple and they should be seriously considered because the identity thieves are getting better and better at their trickery and we need to keep up on the side of protection.

• Make sure you are using the ‘official’ assess point of the establishment  you’re in and not a scammers site set up to confuse you and gain them access to your hard drive.
• If you are being asked to pay an additional fee, it could be a scam.
• Be aware of ‘shoulder surfers’, people lurking around waiting to see your password.
• A personal firewall is still necessary to protect your computer.  You are best to set it to allow only  software you trust.
• A good Anti-virus software is necessary too and it’s going to provide the best protection when it’s set to download updates automatically.
• If you are leaving your hotel room it’s best to power off your laptop and put it in the safe if you have one available to you.
• Certainly don’t leave your laptop all alone in a public place while you leave the table.  Some one could be waiting for just that opportunity and snatch your computer, your employers data and your identity.
• Keep an eye on your USB drive too!

Over all, when away from the house or office, use technology responsibly and securely so that you  won’t have to deal with the consequences of losing your data.  You sure don’t want to be the open source of personal information that can be used against you.

Talk to your Independent Insurance Agent today about Identity Theft Protection coverage for an extra layer of security and helpful advice in the event of a data breach.