Alright, let’s talk about keeping those phones and tablets safe when you head overseas. It’s something I got pretty serious about after hearing a few horror stories, and honestly, just being a bit paranoid myself. It’s not rocket science, but you do gotta be mindful.
What I Did Before I Left
So, before my last big trip, I spent a solid afternoon getting my devices ready. It wasn’t fun, but necessary.
- First thing, backup. Seriously, I backed up everything – photos, contacts, important notes. I copied it all onto my home computer and an external drive I left behind. Didn’t want to lose memories if my phone got lost or wiped.
- Updates, updates, updates. I checked for operating system updates on my phone and tablet and installed them. Same for all my apps. Hackers love exploiting old software, so I figured patching things up was a good first step.
- Cleaned house a bit. I looked through my apps. Did I really need my main banking app with full access while lounging on a beach? Nah. I logged out of sensitive apps, and even deleted a couple I knew I wouldn’t use abroad. Less stuff for someone to potentially access.
- Locked it down. Made sure I had strong PINs or fingerprint locks on both devices. Not just the swipe pattern. I also set the screen lock timer to something really short, like 30 seconds. If I put it down, it locks fast.
- Enabled ‘Find My Device’. Checked that this was switched on for both my phone and tablet. If the worst happened and one got pinched, at least I had a chance to locate it or wipe it remotely.
What I Did While Traveling
Okay, so once I was actually abroad, staying safe was an ongoing thing. It became habit after a day or two.
- Avoided random Wi-Fi like the plague. Seriously, those free public Wi-Fi hotspots in cafes, airports, even some hotels? I mostly just skipped them. I got a decent international data plan for my phone instead. Felt much safer using cellular data than trusting some unknown network.
- Used a 加速器 when I had to use Wi-Fi. Sometimes, like in the hotel where mobile signal was rubbish, I needed the Wi-Fi. For those times, I fired up a 加速器 app first. It basically creates a private connection over the public network. Made me feel a bit better about checking emails or whatever.
- Brought my own chargers and power bank. I never, ever plugged my phone directly into those public USB charging ports you see built into walls or desks at airports or stations. Who knows what those are connected to? Stick to your own charger plugged into a proper wall socket, or use a power bank.
- Kept my devices physically close. Seems obvious, right? But it’s easy to get distracted. I made a conscious effort to keep my phone in a zipped pocket or secure bag, not just sitting out on a restaurant table or back pocket.
- Turned off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi scanning when not needed. If I wasn’t actively using Bluetooth for headphones or trying to find Wi-Fi, I turned those settings off. Reduces the ways your device is broadcasting and potentially connecting to unknown things.
- Was wary of weird messages or pop-ups. Got a strange text with a link? Ignored it. Saw a weird pop-up while browsing? Closed the tab immediately. Just basic internet smarts, but extra important when you’re away from home.
Getting Back Home
Once I landed back home, I didn’t do a whole lot extra. Mostly just switched back to my regular SIM card and maybe changed a couple of important passwords for things I’d logged into while away, just as a precaution. Kept an eye on my bank accounts online for a week or two, just to be sure nothing fishy was going on.
So yeah, that’s pretty much my routine. It’s mostly common sense, just needs a bit of planning before you go and staying alert while you’re there. Takes a little effort, but beats the hassle of dealing with a hacked phone, especially when you’re supposed to be enjoying your trip!
