Easy summer cybersecurity tips for small businesses
Are you travelling this summer? Maybe you’re a digital nomad, working on a once-in-a-lifetime project abroad, or taking a holiday to relax and recharge. Whatever your travel plans, don’t forget to add cybersecurity to your itinerary. Here are 7 steps you can take to keep your data, money and business safe whilst you’re away ✈️
Table of contents:
- Be careful on social media
- Automate tasks to reduce the risk of error
- Only use secure websites
- Secure your data when using public WiFi and devices
- Keep your money safe with your Tide card
- Research travel scams
- Protect your devices from theft or loss
1. Be careful on social media 📱
What you see as a simple Instagram story or LinkedIn post to celebrate your travel plans could give fraudsters and thieves all the information they need to target you and your business.
Ways to stay safe on social media whilst travelling
| Don’t post pictures of your boarding pass online. Fraudsters may only need your booking ID and surname for identity theft, impersonation scams and to change your travel plans. | Do check to see if posting certain things on social media could invalidate your home or business premises insurance policy. | |
| Don’t forget to turn off location tools on your device, apps and websites when you’re not using them | Do tell your alarm monitoring provider who your nominated keyholder is and see if they can test your alarm before you go. |
2. Automate tasks to reduce the risk of error 👩💻
One of the benefits of both working abroad and holidaying is the opportunity to visit exciting travel destinations – and when you’re out and about exploring, tasks may pop up to keep your business ticking over. Rushing to complete those tasks when you’re on the go and not fully focused may lead to mistakes, which could cause data loss and other problems you’ll have to spend time dealing with when you’re back.
That’s where automation comes in. With Tide, you’ve got the digital tools you need to tick off your business finance tasks safely whilst you’re on the move. You can set them up before you leave and amend them once you’re away if your needs change.
3. Only use secure websites 🌐
It’s always worth taking a second to check if a website is secure by looking at the URL, especially when you’re in unfamiliar surroundings. If the URL starts with ‘https://’, that means the communication and data transferred between your web browser and the website is secure. Also, check for a padlock in the address bar, as this shows that the website has a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate.
4. Secure your data when using public WiFi and devices 🖥️
Airports, hotel lobbies, coffee shops and shared workspaces often offer public WiFi networks and devices for you to use. If you do use them, it’s always a good idea to avoid buying things or logging into online accounts – don’t assume you have the same level of privacy as you would at home.
For example, a cybercriminal may create a WiFi network with a name that looks legitimate, so that you’ll connect to it and they’ll be able to steal your passwords, card details and more. Public computers can be infected with malware that tracks your keystrokes and essentially gives your personal information away to hackers.
On a similar note, hackers may attempt to steal your personal information and/or infect your device with malware whilst you’re using public charging stations, through a technique known as juice jacking. Consider using a USB data blocker to physically stop any data from being transferred over without your knowledge whilst your device is plugged in, or you could use a portable power bank to charge your device instead.
5. Keep your money safe with your Tide card 💳
You can use your Tide card abroad wherever you see the Mastercard logo, both for transactions and to withdraw cash. Your name and banking details are on the back of your Tide card instead of on the front, which helps hide your personal information from fraudsters and makes it harder for them to copy. We also use features such as 3D Secure (3DS) and Confirmation of Payee when you’re making a payment online, to help make sure it’s actually you spending your money and that it’s not going to a fraudster – make sure you’ve updated to the latest version of your Tide app for the best experience.
6. Research travel scams 🧳
Prevention is better than cure: make sure you’re aware of any common local scams in the place you’re visiting. These scams may be more subtle than you’d expect, such as card skimming or being charged for free digital travel documents such as an NHS COVID pass or passenger locator form.
To help you spot if you’re being targeted by a fraudster posing as Tide, we’ve compiled a list of the information we’ll never ask you for.
7. Protect your devices from theft and loss 👊
Unfortunately, travel can pose higher risks of losing your devices or having them stolen, so you must protect them from all angles.
- Remember insurance. Depending on the provider and type of cover you get, you may be able to cover the costs of repairing or replacing lost or damaged devices – check if you can snag a deal through our Member Perks ✨
- Complete software updates. They often fix bugs and install the latest security features on your device
- Set up a screen lock. Whether it’s facial recognition or a passcode, a screen lock can help keep the data on your device safe even if it’s lost or stolen
- Secure your property. You could keep your devices in your hand luggage, so they’re in sight at all times, or use luggage locks to deter thieves
Wrapping up
By proactively implementing cybersecurity and information security best practice, you can reduce the risk of something going wrong whilst you’re away and save yourself a lot of money and effort. So, take the time to apply the steps detailed in this blog post and give yourself the peace of mind that your business is in good hands, wherever you are in the world.
