How Can I Protect My Identity While In Public?

 

There are several risk factors to consider when traveling. 

First, you're more likely to hold more key identification documents like your passport and you'll often have extra cash on you as well. Additionally, public wifi and ports are easier for identity thieves to get access to, making your devices vulnerable. This makes you a prime target for identity thieves.

Following are some common risks to consider when traveling:

Public Wifi:

Public WiFi is one of the most integral part of our daily lives today. According to Forbes, almost 35% of people consistently access public WiFi 3-4 times a month. Additionally, almost 23% of people use public WiFi as a way to cut down their data usage. Perhaps most concerning is that 20% of people use public WiFi to make financial transactions.  Remember that public WiFi is not secure so limiting your use of public WiFi is critical.

Public WiFi is usually unsecured, allowing hackers and other bad actors easy access to the WiFi and anyone using it at the time. This allows hackers to steal your passwords and even your financial information if you should log into your financial institution's website or app or if you have saved passwords on your device.  Therefore, taking steps to protect yourself on public WiFi is important. This could include investing into Virtual Private Networks(VPNs) and being mindful of the activities that you engage in on public WiFi.

Public Charging Ports and Juice Jacking

You might be traveling in an airport and you need to charge your phone, but the ports might be a security risk. Identity thieves implant concealed malware into these ports, so when you insert your USB into the port, all the information in your phone is at risk.  This is called 'juice jacking'.  The following items can be at risk: 

  • Payment methods
  • Social security
  • Account numbers
  • And they can even force your phone to download an app or pay for a product

Any public charging port is at risk including airports, hotels, event spaces, or even at your favorite coffee shop. 

The FTC confirmed that they've seen evidence that "juice jacking" can be done, however, they have not received any reported cases (potentially because this is a less known tactic so people may be less aware that this could be the cause of a problem that they've experienced).

So here are some tips to protect yourself....

  • Carry an external battery
  • Consider a charging-only cable
  • If prompted for certain levels of access when plugging your phone into a USB port, always choose charge only or "Don't Allow."

In order to protect yourself during travel and when in public, we recommend the following tips

  • Only use credit cards. Credit card issuers will not make you pay if fraud occurs on your credit card account. However, if you use a debit card, losing money to fraud can be much more injurious if you don't notice it soon.
    • Federal law can limit your liability up to $50 providing you report fraud in a timely manner
  • Use a secured wallet, which is a wallet that protects your wallet from skimming devices, which are devices identity thieves might use to steal your credit card information in a second.
  • Protect your paper mail, which if lost, might lead to your information being in the hands of people you'd rather it not be. 
  • Always update your software or turn on auto-updates. Hackers will exploit the gaps in your software and software updates are active attempts to keep your device secure.
  • Use strong passwords. The most common password is "password" followed by "123456." You're not even trying to keep your personal data from being taken.
    • Passwords should be unique
    • They should also be long, at least 15 characters.
  • Multi-factor Authentication is your friend. This is when a program asks you for a second step, whether its a confirmation on your phone or email, or even a security question which helps to make it harder for identity thieves. 

Tip:

When traveling, understand the implications of using public WiFi and public charging ports and take the necessary steps to protect yourself. Additionally, the use of a Virtual Private Network(VPN), could be advantageous for you to keep your devices secure on public WiFi. 

Next Chapter: How Can I Protect My Loved Ones From Identity Theft?

All Chapters:

[Chapter 1]: Identification of Fraud

[Chapter 2]: How Can I Protect My Identity?

[Chapter 3]: How Can I Protect My Identity While In Public?

[Chapter 4]: How Can I Protect My Loved Ones From Identity Theft?

[Chapter 5]:  The Next Generation of Identity Theft

[Chapter 6]: What Actions Should I Take if My Identity is Compromised?