As a traveling blogger, something that should be a concern is that you are at risk of a cyber attack or someone trying to steal your data as you visit new countries and share your travels with others.
Unless you have robust measures, there is never a zero chance you will suffer from a cyber attack. Cyber attacks come in many forms, it could be an official-looking email that asks you to click a link, or it could be a piece of malware that sneaks into your computer from an app download.
Many traveling people work on the go, and with the rise of digital nomads looking after your devices has never been more important.
Often travel bloggers create a lot of content and have a huge subscriber list – not to mention securing deals with travel companies! An attack could mean you lose the trust of your email list and followers – which would greatly impact readership.
Here are some of the best ways to prevent data loss, breaches, and the long-term impact of a cyber attack on your travel blog.
Phishing emails
Phishing attacks are one of the most common ways people steal data. Almost all emails look official, which is why criminals use them so often. But after closer inspection, you will notice a couple of things.
- The wording might not be natural.
- You might be asked for account or payment details.
- You may notice that the email address isn’t correct
- The footer of the email might not be the same as the real official ones
- Your name might be slightly incorrect
Not clicking anything in an email you believe is a phishing scam is important. You might experience phishing emails from travel companies, travel cards that have mobile apps and multiple currency features, or hotels.
VPN
You might’ve heard about VPNs and even an encrypted VPN tunnel, but if you aren’t sure how they can protect your blog or keep any of the details sent between you and a potential travel client, this might be for you.
A VPN offers end-to-end encryption for all of the devices that are connected to it. Meaning you can send and receive any confidential or private information safely. So, for example, if you need to send personal details to a travel company that wants you to review their hotel or restaurant, it keeps those safe. As well as any payment details and invoices that might be exchanged.
With so many people working remotely and sending information over unprotected networks, this data is easy pickings for cybercriminals.
A VPN is essential for travel writers and bloggers because you will use many free wifi spots as you move from place to place.
Updates
Are you the type of person who puts off updating the software on your computer for as long as possible? Software updates typically include bug fixes and increased security. The increased security is upgraded in line with new methods that cybercriminals use to access people’s information.
You have some control over your automatic updates; set them for a time before or after you would typically use your computer so they don’t interfere with your working day – but you still benefit from the highest level of protection.
Keeping your devices updated as you travel might feel like a bit of a hassle, but ultimately, these small patches can make sure that your laptop or tablet is ready to share things with social media or add new posts as you go.
Backup
If all the other methods have failed you, and you find that you have been the victim of a cyber attack, a backup will be your biggest insurance policy. Information can be held randomly, stolen, deleted, or manipulated during a cyber attack – and in some cases, whole blogs have been held for ransom or destroyed.
If you have a backup of your photos and content notes, you can get back to posting and sharing your adventures with no downtime. It’s always a good idea to have your blog or website backed up to the cloud, too – because you never know when disaster might strike!
All these will help keep your content and the details of your subscribers safe – even when you are traveling the world! Speaking of which, here is somewhere to add to your must-see list: Lisbon Travel Guide – Meghan Laurie.
