Email, Geo-Tagging and Social Media Activities Can Jeopardize Consumers' Security While Travelling
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
MARKHAM, ON, June 21, 2016 /CNW/ - In preparation for summer travel season, Intel Security conducted a study, "Digital Detox: Unplugging on Summer Vacation," to better understand the ways consumers stay digitally connected while travelling and the ways they may unknowingly be putting their personal identity and devices at risk. Roughly 64 per cent of Canadian respondents define being unplugged as having no internet usage at all, while half said being unplugged means they did not make any phone calls. The survey challenges a misconception in society that younger Canadians would be the least likely to leave their devices behind on vacation— 51 per cent of Canadians in their 20s said they were had gone on a vacation with the intention to unplug, while only 35 per cent of those Canadian respondents between 40 and 50 years of age had done so.
Summer vacation is full of distraction and opportunity, and savvy criminals have learned how to capitalize on these moments. Travellers can be targets for cybercriminals who count on human and device vulnerabilities to provide them with a point of access to consumers' data and devices. They can gain access to sensitive information via unsecured smartphones, laptops and even wearables, while also collecting data from social channels.
"Consumers rely on technology to stay connected to their physical and digital worlds – whether at work, home or on vacation," said Gary Davis, chief consumer security evangelist at Intel Security. "People are often quick to use devices on vacation to access sensitive information without considering the potential risk. As a result, it's crucial to impart safe digital habits to help consumers stay more secure when travelling."
Consumers need to be vigilant and take precautionary security measures to prevent their personal information from being lost or stolen while on the road. Despite many respondents' inability to unplug, those who were able to do so reaped major benefits.
Vacay-Zen:
Work Time-Out:
Tips to Minimize Your Travel Security Risks:
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Study Methodology
In March 2016, Intel Security commissioned MSI International to conduct an online global study among 13,960 consumers (including 816 Canadians) between the ages of 21 to 54, evenly split by gender.
About Intel Security
Intel Security, with its McAfee product line, is dedicated to making the digital world safer and more secure for everyone. Intel Security is a division of Intel Corporation. Learn more at www.intelsecurity.com.
Intel Security in Canada maintains a website called "The State of Consumer and Enterprise Security in Canada" (http://mcaf.ee/canadastats) in order to provide a one-stop shop for writers looking for information on a variety of trends and issues affecting and shaping the Canadian security landscape. Feel free to check out the Intel Security resource site for security information, statistics, story ideas, and access to published Intel Security surveys and studies.
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SOURCE Intel Security
Image with caption: "Canadians are the most successful at abstaining from social media use while on vacation. (CNW Group/Intel Security)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160621_C6962_PHOTO_EN_717944.jpg
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