It doesn’t matter where we are in the world, our smartphones still play a huge role in our day to day whether for entertainment, for social sharing of our big trip, or even making payments while traveling. It’ll come as no surprise then that our mobile devices can also be a big point of weakness and online safety can be one of the big things disregarded while traveling.

So how can you be sure that you’re staying safe online when on the road, and what tips can you take away with you to enhance your security further?

Take advantage of software

VPN’s have long been used to help with online security for all devices and have certainly been growing in popularity for mobile too. There had been a big push in advertising for these services in recent years too, so the likelihood is that you’ve either heard or have already used one, and with free trials and low prices it may be worth investing if you’re going away, particularly with use on public connections and public internet services where security isn’t always the highest. You may need to exercise some caution however, not all countries allow software like VPN’s, so you may have to do a little reading ahead of time to be sure that you won’t land yourself in a spot of trouble for using them.

Stick to apps you know, too

While on your travels you’ll no doubt encounter a huge number of different locations advertising their own mobile apps, whether this be through gaming entertainment as penny slot machines advertise their online versions, or restaurants encouraging you to order through their own dedicated app instead. If you’re not able to guarantee their security, it’s better to avoid them all together, as you’d hate to find out that burger you ordered cost you more than just the menu price after your smartphone is compromised for installing an unsecure app through a QR code.

Be cautious where and when you connect

As mentioned in the first point, public internet access isn’t always guaranteed to be safe, but there are many locations that offer a free internet connection that may not be as safe as you’d like – popular spots like Starbucks or McDonalds can often be popular areas for those looking to steal information from tourists, and the unsecure public networks there offer a great way for them to do so. If possible, use your own mobile data – whilst not the most secure, it often is better than public internet, and if not look around for public internet that is secured by password and only available to customers or as a paid service, as these are also likely to be more safe.

Online safety is ultimately a common sense issue, be sure to think about what you’re doing and where and more often than not you’ll be able to secure your own online security, no matter where you are.