I'm going on holiday and I'm taking with me... my smartphone, a charger, sunglasses, swimming trunks....
No one doubts that a smartphone is a handy thing on holiday: it shows you the way, it's your travel guide, your camera and photo album, you can keep in touch with the home front with it and much more. You don't want to miss your mobile phone on holiday and you certainly don't want to fall victim to (cyber) criminals. These 5 tips will help you pretty much on your way to enjoying a carefree holiday.
1. Make sure your smartphone is up to date
A device that has received all recent updates is much better protected from cyber attacks. Therefore, make sure all device and app updates are done before you leave on holiday.
2. Secure your smartphone with a strong access code, your fingerprint or facial recognition
Choose a code of at least 6 digits to access your device. This is better than 'a pattern' because the pattern sometimes remains visible on your screen, especially if you just used sunscreen. Your fingerprint or facial recognition is also a good way to keep potholes out.
Activate automatic locking on your smartphone when it is inactive after e.g. 1 minute.
3. Prefer 4G over wifi
On holiday, it is always safer to use a 4G network. Check the conditions of your mobile phone subscription. If you don't have to pay extra for data traffic, it's best to use your subscription. If you have enough data available and don't want to watch long films, you can also use your mobile phone as a hotspot for your laptop or tablet. For calls, text messages and data usage in the EU, you will pay the same amount as at home.
4. Only install applications from a standard application store
Only install applications from a standard application store (Google Play, App Store) and from an official seller. Limit the access of your applications to what is strictly necessary. For example, a travel guide app does not need access to your contacts.
5. Make regular backups
The last thing you want is to lose all your holiday photos or contacts. So make regular backups (in the cloud) of the data on your smartphone.
Happy holidays!
