Privacy When Traveling

Posted by: Dia

Privacy When Traveling - 03/01/17 10:47 AM

I often travel out of state to backpack/hike and frequently find myself in situations where I only have access to public wi-fi, which I know is not secure. Since I do work as a freelance writer who writes/blogs about my travels and experiences, I need to be able to write/photograph, etc. while I am on the go, but I am concerned about others being able to tap into my devices and access my information while I am working on the go. Is there anything I can do to keep my information safe?
Posted by: wgiles

Re: Privacy When Traveling - 03/01/17 12:38 PM

You will probably get a number of different opinions and I am certainly no expert. I consider public WiFi and email to be the least secure connections. I won't use any of my secure passwords over public WiFi nor use any credit cards over WiFi or email. The most secure connection when traveling is a cell phone network connection. If you have more than one device, you may be able to create a WiFi hotspot using your phone and connect your other devices. I don't think that any connection is really secure, but Apple devices appear to be somewhat more secure than others. The fact that Apple apps are supposed to be downloaded from the App Store makes it more difficult to get malware. An App that is downloaded from somewhere else is more likely to be infected.
Posted by: BrianLe

Re: Privacy When Traveling - 03/01/17 12:59 PM

I suggest that you do a little research on the topic of VPNs --- Virtual Private Networks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_private_network

Basically an app that you put on your device, connected to service that you pay for (or at least pay for in the form of ads).
Posted by: Glenn Roberts

Re: Privacy When Traveling - 03/01/17 05:53 PM

I always find it ironic that we insist on absolute privacy for our own data, but unlimited access to to information.
Posted by: balzaccom

Re: Privacy When Traveling - 03/01/17 07:50 PM

Where I backpack there is no wifi. Or cell phone coverage.

But it's pretty private. I only have to share a campsite with my wife...and maybe one other group if we are unlucky.
Posted by: Dia

Re: Privacy When Traveling - 03/02/17 02:03 PM

Originally Posted By Glenn Roberts
I always find it ironic that we insist on absolute privacy for our own data, but unlimited access to to information.


That is a really good point. Never even thought of it in those terms. It is definitely ironic, but I still want it! :-)
Posted by: Dia

Re: Privacy When Traveling - 03/02/17 02:07 PM

Originally Posted By BrianLe
I suggest that you do a little research on the topic of VPNs --- Virtual Private Networks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_private_network

Basically an app that you put on your device, connected to service that you pay for (or at least pay for in the form of ads).


Wow that is really interesting. Thank you for that. I ventured off on my own search after reading that article and came across this https://www.bestvpn.com/free-vpns/ and this https://securethoughts.com/3-best-vpns-privacy/. Now I am kind of just trying to figure out what the paid ones have over the free ones. I mean I certainly don't mind paying if it will keep me safe, but if a free one does the same thing as a paid one then that seems like the obvious choice.
Posted by: BrianLe

Re: Privacy When Traveling - 03/03/17 11:07 AM

Quote:
"Now I am kind of just trying to figure out what the paid ones have over the free ones. I mean I certainly don't mind paying if it will keep me safe, but if a free one does the same thing as a paid one then that seems like the obvious choice."


Very infrequently, but a couple of times I've seen ads for a VPN that offers "lifetime" service for not a lot of money. I bit on one of those, and have had mixed feelings about the result. Mostly I keep the thing off, as it's one that's ad-driven but the ads can be turned off by paying the fee. But these guys keep seeming to forget that I'm paid and I have to tediously figure out how to login again, and the ads are particularly intrusive and annoying --- so I won't recommend what I use.

I think it matters a lot whether you're a very light user (like me), or anticipate using it a lot. Using it only for traveling, or for local use too, such as using a device in a local library or coffee shop or whatever?

Of course there are different sites out there that will rate the best VPN app/service combos, and they might or might not rate them on the factors that matter most to you. For example, it's not super important to me to be able to spoof Netflix into thinking that I'm in a different country so that I can access videos that are normally not available in the country they figure out I'm in from my IP address. But this is a feature that matters to some people.

Sorry I don't have a simple answer for you here. If you come up with an app/service that you like, please share your experience --- as I think this is a potential issue for everyone that travels.
Posted by: JustWalking

Re: Privacy When Traveling - 03/14/17 05:52 PM

This is a really good article on VPNs at Ars Technica, good thought piece.
Posted by: vanessa

Re: Privacy When Traveling - 04/06/17 11:08 PM

Enable a two-factor authentication. This adds an extra layer of protection when you are on public wifi.
Posted by: heelydavid

Re: Privacy When Traveling - 04/20/17 08:46 AM

Originally Posted By Dia
I often travel out of state to backpack/hike and frequently find myself in situations where I only have access to public wi-fi, which I know is not secure. Since I do work as a freelance writer who writes/blogs about my travels and experiences, I need to be able to write/photograph, etc. while I am on the go, but I am concerned about others being able to tap into my devices and access my information while I am working on the go. Is there anything I can do to keep my information safe?

yes Its more important part of Traviling
Posted by: lyle Allard

Re: Privacy When Traveling - 09/15/17 02:23 PM

Wow. I'm a freelance writer too and I was really looking for a VPN on the go while being an online gaming addict too at the same time. It is difficult concerning me to resist on whatever form of time lag while playing updated favorite web games.

Thence, with an aim to interact and play with gamers or even other writers around the world, I need to bypass the confined access while utilizing one of the (link deleted by moderator) present.

What do you reckon?