Advisory: How to Protect Your Information from Device Loss When Traveling

Whenever we’re travelling, there’s a chance that we’ll somehow lose our phones, laptops or tablets, along with the valuable information that’s stored on them. Ever since news broke out about the hackable hotel room locks, the chances have increased even more.

So what can we do to protect our information while traveling? Security experts from McAfee have published a useful advisory with some basic tips.

The first recommendation is to keep valuable items out of plain sight. Expensive electronics should never be left in public view, not even when hotel staff is coming to clean the room.

For better protection in case of a burglary, valuables should be locked in a safe if the hotel provides one in your room.

Another important thing to do when you travel is to make sure to back up all your important data before you leave. No matter if the device is lost, or stolen, making a backup of all your files is highly recommended.

An interesting piece of advice given by McAfee’s Vice President of Global Consumer Marketing Gary Davis is to add contact information to the lock screens of your devices.

Lock screens can protect the data that’s stored on the device against thieves, but if the gadget is lost and the founder wants to return it to you, it would be useful for him/her to know how to reach you.

Geo-tracking software can be highly useful. A simple application installed on your phone or laptop can aid you in determining if it’s lost or stolen and in some cases, it can even help you get it back.

Finally, install a piece of software that allows you to remotely wipe the data from the device in case it’s stolen.

If you’re asking yourself “what product could I utilize to accomplish all these tasks?,” one comprehensive solution is McAfee Mobile Security.