4 Ways to Keep Your Mobile Devices Safe While Traveling

The world might still be suffering from a pandemic, but travel is slowly starting to pick up once again. When you feel safe and comfortable traveling again, it is of critical importance that you take steps to secure your technology while out of the office—especially your mobile devices. Here are some big ways that you can prioritize security while traveling.

Keep Your Phone Locked and Protected

Do you have any friends or coworkers who don’t lock their smartphones? This is such a huge mistake to make. What would they do if they lost the device, or if it were stolen by someone with malicious intentions? Your phone should be protected by both a passcode and some form of biometric technology, whether it’s a fingerprint scanner or face recognition software. It’s the same with any other device; we always recommend multi-factor authentication for just about any account or device, provided it is available.

Use Your Business’ Virtual Private Network

It’s a good idea to avoid public Wi-Fi, but that’s not always going to be in the cards. When it comes to traveling and staying connected to the workplace, you have a small dilemma to manage. On one hand, you need to connect to the Internet to interact with your office’s online infrastructure. On the other hand, public Wi-Fi connections are notorious for being cesspools of threats. When possible, you should be using a Virtual Private Network, or VPN, when connected to the Internet. This will help you keep your sensitive information safe while out of the office.

Turn Off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth When Not in Use

Some folks keep their Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled on their devices even when they are not actively using them. This can be a dangerous practice, especially considering the fact that your device might automatically connect to these networks as it encounters them. Hackers tend to lurk on open public connections, so don’t put your device at risk needlessly; just disable these connections when they aren’t in use. Plus, your battery will thank you—when you are not connected to Bluetooth or a wireless network, most smartphones will actively search for one, putting unnecessary strain on your battery.

Use a Mobile Device Management System

A lot of things could go wrong when you bring your mobile device on the road. You never know if your employees (or even you) might set your device down, forget about it, and put your data at risk. A quality mobile device management solution can get around some of these concerns and help you prepare a contingency plan on the off chance that something goes wrong. Your mobile device management solution should include capabilities for whitelisting and blacklisting applications, remote wiping of lost or stolen devices, and device location services. 

Washington Works can help your business implement all of the security features you need to keep your devices secure while out of the office. To learn more about what we can do for your business, reach out to us at 301-571-5040.