In a survey by Morning Consult on behalf of IBM Security (posted at https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2019/05/24/travel-cyber-risks/) 70% of respondents said they put at least some effort into protecting their digital information while traveling. However, only 40% believed they would be targets for cybercrime, and 70% engage in high risk behavior.
According to the 2019 IBM X-Force Threat Intelligence Index, the transportation industry is now the second most attacked by cyber criminals, with 13% of observed attacks. 566 million records have been leaked or compromised in publicly reported data breaches since January 2018.
Business travelers are more likely to engage in risky behavior – connecting to public WiFi, using a public USB station to recharge a device, enabling auto-connect – than personal travelers.
Digital safety tips:
- Monitor loyalty reward programs for unusual activity.
- Use strong passwords and multi-factor authentication.
- Avoid public Wi-Fi where possible and use a VPN.
- Bring a backup battery instead of using USB ports.
- Turn off unneeded connectivity.
- Shred travel tickets or tags after they’re used.
- Avoid unsafe ATMs or point of sale systems.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Harry Cylinder
Harry Cylinder, CPCU, ARM has spent nearly fifty years in the insurance industry, the majority of the time as a consultant. He has been employed by The Beacon Group of Companies since 2008, specializing in the review and analysis of property and casualty coverage forms. Mr. Cylinder has been reviewing policy forms as they have evolved over the past decades. In 2008 he published an article in the CPCU Journal which was the first description of cyber insurance coverage for a general insurance audience. Since that time he has regularly written on cyber and other topics for The Beacon Companies’ blog.