Digital Detox: How To Unplug and Protect Data On Your Summer Vacation

Email, geotagging and social media can sap the R & R from your vacation--and expose you to cyber crime

By The LifeMinute Team

July 1, 2016

A recent study conducted by Intel found that 55% of Americans can't manage to disconnect during a vacation. Although when they finally do, 88% admitted that they did not feel stressed out being unplugged, and that they connected better with travel partners. Here's what you can do to reap the benefits of a digital detox.

Avoid Becoming A Target

Intel Security surveyed 14,000 people worldwide and found that as many as two thirds of Americans wanted to disconnect, unplug and detox while they were on vacation, but less than half were actually successful at it.

What many travelers might not realize is that cyber criminals never take a break from trying to gain access to your accounts. "Whenever you're on free, unprotected WIFI, such as at a hotel, at a resort, in the airport, unprotected WIFI is what criminals use to access your personal information," says Robert Siciliano, online safety expert with Intel Security. "They see the websites you visit and the passwords you type in and they can get access to your email as well. So it's important that you download and install a VPM, a Virtual Private Network, that encrypts so that no one can see your data on free public open WIFI," he says.

Whether you're at home or abroad, make sure your devices are properly protected in regards to anti-virus spyware, anti-fishing and a firewall. And finally, keep your operating system properly updated.

Additionally, make sure your devices are password protected so if they are lost or stolen no one can get access to your email, bank or credit card information.

IRL Benefits

The survey found that while as many as two thirds of Americans planned on actually unplugging, less than half were actually successful. Whereas citizens of countries like Mexico, Singapore, Canada and Brazil know how to vacation and are actually better at unplugging, in the U.S., millennials were actually more successful at unplugging than those in their 40s and 50s, and men were better at it than women.

"So keep in mind, whenever you're traveling to make sure to secure your devices using passwords, VPMs and anti-virus and take a moment to actually sit down and decompress and enjoy your vacation. Unplug your devices, put them in your hotel safe and enjoy the time with your friends and family," says Siciliano.

For more information, check out the digital detox survey at Intel Security at Intel.com.