Whether you're planning on travelling to Iceland or any other country, it's important to keep your data safe and protected while you're away from home. Living in a digital world, becoming savvy about taking care of your data is essential. The last thing you would want is to have data spilling everywhere you go. To help you do this, here is a guide to Iceland with data protection in mind.
5 Tips to Keep Your Data Safe While Travelling to Iceland
1. Protect yourself
Whether you're storing sensitive data in your travel computer or on an external hard drive, don't risk losing it by simply plugging into hotel computers the same ones you use for email and browsing. Hackers can easily hack into these systems and steal your information, giving them access to any bank accounts linked to your devices. To keep yourself safe while travelling, copy your photos, videos, and sensitive files onto a cloud storage service like Dropbox before you even arrive at your destination. If you're staying at a hotel, use the wireless internet connection to sign up for the Wi-Fi network (not the unsecured one that's offered as a public network) and set up a VPN (virtual private network) so your device is protected when connected to their servers. Be sure not to login from different locations (even if they are all connected). If you are on public Wi-Fi, avoid accessing any sites that have confidential information that might be stored on there.
2. Don't take risks
Iceland is one of those places on your list that's really cool to visit, but if you're a serial photo taker or Instagrammer, it might also be one of those places where you don't want to take too many risks with your data. Thankfully, there are some simple things you can do to protect yourself and your data. The first is to delete pictures after sharing them; whether on social media or emailing them out to friends. And since everyone these days has a mobile phone, make sure you set the automatic lock time before arriving in the country to avoid thieves getting their hands on it. And lastly, keep up-to-date backups at home so if anything does happen while travelling, at least your memories will still be safe.
3. Use a VPN
Using a VPN when you're travelling, either for work or for leisure is a great way to ensure your data stays safe. Even if you're simply logging into public WiFi at your hotel, a VPN can protect your private information by encrypting your connection. With so many free VPNs available, there's no reason not to use one and that goes double while travelling abroad. Not only will you be able to access sites and services as normal, but the best VPNs will also provide additional privacy and security measures like IP address masking and online identity protection.
4. Get a separate SIM card
If you're worried about hackers or other digital threats, it's a good idea to get a separate SIM card from your cell phone provider. A dedicated SIM card will help ensure that all data is separate from your personal information. You can also use a smartphone app like Burner if you want an extra layer of security.
5. Backup! Backup! Backup!
Whether you're travelling for business or pleasure, back up all your valuable data whether it's stored in a computer or on a mobile device. Backing up your information is important no matter where you are, but while abroad it can make all of the difference. What if your hard drive crashes? Or what if you accidentally drop and break your device? Don't put yourself at risk. Here are five tips to keep your data backed up while travelling to Iceland:
Backup any device that has personal information, such as family photos and emails.
Carry a portable backup solution with you so that if anything happens to your main device, you'll still have copies of everything.
If possible, store copies of your backup files offsite in case disaster strikes at home.
Avoid sending sensitive files over unsecured networks like public Wi-Fi hotspots.
