IT consumers are endangering themselves and their data because they are letting their guard down abroad, according to research from an IT security product company. From drinking alcohol, to using risky Wi-Fi connections and handing their smartphones over to strangers, the Kaspersky Lab study suggests the perils of consumer travelling habits. Some two fifths (42 per cent) admitting they are less secure in how they connect on holiday, compared to how they connect when they travel for business.
In a survey of 11,850 people worldwide, Kaspersky Lab has unearthed what it terms an overriding desperation among travellers to be connected, casual attitudes towards data security and an inclination towards risky behavior, is putting them at increased risk of cyber-attacks.
The research suggests many of us are careless with our connected devices abroad. A quarter (28 per cent) have left them unsupervised (such as on a table or in a meeting room), and one in five (19 per cent) have left them with hotel concierges – rising to as many as two in five Americans on both scores. Photo opportunities also drive such risky practice, with 18 per cent of us – and one in four under-25s – more likely to hand our smartphones over to passing strangers when abroad, to take a photo.
The report findings suggest that when we are in ‘holiday mode’, our behaviour is often erratic and highly risky. Many say they are more likely to contact people they don’t know (18 per cent) and engage in ‘sexting’ (six per cent) while abroad. The survey also finds 15 per cent drink more when abroad, rising to 29 per cent of Brits.
Many of us do not consider how we connect, nor whom might be ‘listening’ in when we are abroad. Most (82 per cent) choose unsecured public Wi-Fi abroad wherever possible, such as in airport terminals, hotels and cafes. Indeed, many of us make it a habit – 28 per cent use public Wi-Fi abroad more readily than at home – and 18 per cent taking no special precautions at all to stay safe online.
A third (33 per cent) admit to visiting websites of a sensitive nature on foreign Wi-Fi using a personal device. In addition, almost half conduct online banking (48 per cent) and shopping online (46 per cent) when they are abroad. And alarmingly, a third (35 per cent) admit to having made confidential calls in public on the grounds language is a barrier to understanding, and therefore, a guard against data security.
Such behaviour is catching us out – of those consumers who have been hit by a cyber-attack while abroad, around one in five had no idea of its origin, the IT security firm adds.
Elena Kharchenko, Head of Consumer Product Management, Kaspersky Lab, says: “It is natural to want to relax on holiday, but too often our guard drops completely when connecting to the Internet, leaving our better judgment to put its feet up and kick back. Should we connect? Should we post on social media? Yes, of course – but we advise users to take extra precautions when they do this abroad. Make sure you are being cyber-savvy and put measures in place to protect yourself and your data.”
