As the summer season begins, Britons fly to sunnier climates for a well-deserved break. However, from the technical expert Sam Crawford by Crawford has issued a stark warning to holidaymakers about the potential dangers of cybercrime.
“When you come back from a trip, it’s a good idea to clean up your digital space,” he advised. “The fewer apps you have, the less likely a hacker will steal your personal or payment information.”
Crawford recommends that when your vacation is over, get rid of everything you don’t need. This includes any apps that are used exclusively for your trip – whether they’re local taxi services, bike rental apps, or anything else that has access to your location data.
While this may seem harmless, Crawford warns that it’s anything but innocent. In some cases, app tracking allows companies to use or even sell your data for targeted advertising.
Additionally, if an application’s infrastructure does not have strong defense measures in place, it may be vulnerable to a cyber attack. In the worst case, this can lead to the leakage of your card details and personal information.
Crawford added: “You may also want to remove event apps if you’re visiting a museum or attraction, or other local apps, such as apps used to communicate with locals, that you don’t normally use.
“Then, over the next few weeks, monitor your credit card statements and any unusual credit or identity activity. While you’re checking your accounts, you might as well change your passwords.”
If you’re worried about whether your personal data has been swiped in a data breach, websites like “Have I Been Encrypted?” can provide you with information.
Just tap your email, hit “search” and you’ll find out if your email has been breached.
