TECH TALK
the optimistic point of view, and assume that you have an up to date device, security software installed and updated, and use strong passwords for your online accounts — you do all of this already, correct?). One thing that many people do not think about is how they are paying for travel arrangements (in case a problem does happen later on). The safest way to protect your purchase is by using a credit card — especially one which provides some sort of travel insurance benefi ts (these vary wildly, from none to reimbursements for travel delays, lost or delayed baggage, etc.). The reason that I am mentioning this here is that if you use a debit card or some other form of electronic payment, you may have diffi culty if someone obtains your accounts. In a recent article, Frank Abagnale
(former professional impostor and the author of the best-selling memoir, “Catch Me If You Can”, and one of the world’s most respected authorities on the subjects of fraud, forgery, and cybersecurity) stated that, “A debit card is certainly and truly the worst fi nancial tool ever given to the American consumer”. One of his key points is that
if there is a data breach on some bank/vendor/3rd-party (which has your data in its database) and some criminal acquires your credit card number and charges $XM’s on it, you are protected under various laws and your credit card issuer will simply cancel the card and issue you a new one. All fraudulent purchases will be nullifi ed. But if you use a debit card this may be quite diff erent, since criminals may be able to pilfer your bank account. You may have a challenging and a lengthy time recovering any funds you may have once had. He also recommended keeping your check-writing to a minimum (if you saw the movie, you will know why — Leonardo DiCaprio did a helluva acting job).
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DOMmagazine.com | oct 2019
Another good practice to use, especially for foreign travel or if using multiple airlines for a journey, is to print out your boarding passes. Airline apps with their digital boarding passes are excellent, but, if you are traveling abroad and do not have a cellular plan (and depend upon an airport Wi-Fi for such an important document), you may experience problems. This is not much of an issue when only traveling within the USA, and especially for direct fl ights where there is only one air carrier involved. Airline apps have become much
more user-friendly and more secure over recent years since they are trying to move away from paper tickets to reduce costs and fraud. There have been incidents with some airline’s app being targeted by criminals, especially since many have numerous security issues. A recent security test by Pradeo Security of “global top 50” airline mobile applications identifi ed various data privacy concerns, especially concerning the transmission of personal and fi nancial data via non-certifi ed network connections. Obviously each airline has diff ering
features and supported tasks in their mobile apps, but, many of these store passengers credit card, personal contact information, passport, and other such information and also handle all check-in, boarding pass, mileage status inquiries, and on-board entertainment or purchases, among other functions. Some of these have direct links to third-party partners. This Prado Security study indicates that “at least 49% of airline applications manipulate users’ location information, gallery, and contact list …and a third of them send the personal data in question over the network.” To top this off , these data communications are through non-certifi ed connections, which could possibly facilitate the opportunity for data theft. This study
also stated that these mobile airline apps used an average of 14 unsecure connections to servers. It’s incredible that in this day and age that such applications would be released to the public. My personal hope is that since the study results were publicly announced in May 2019, each airline jumps to close these holes. Does this mean that you should not use airline apps? No. But I would recommend using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) if using Wi-Fi in a public place (more on this later). Cellular connections are much more secure than Wi-Fi, but this does not solve all of the problems identifi ed by Prado Security. How some airlines want to access your private address book of contacts and other data should be off -limits, and hopefully new laws protecting passengers will eventually be written (I have some hope that one day Congress will do something). The world is moving away from paper tickets, so the unfortunate part is that in the near future, you will essentially be forced to use mobile apps to manage your travel journey. The bottom line is to always
book your travel arrangements over a secure Internet connection, preferably not over unsecured Wi-Fi connections, use strong passwords for your accounts, and use a credit card whenever possible. For foreign travel, consider printing out all of your travel documents to have with you. Only use airline apps if necessary.
AT THE AIRPORT OR HOTEL
OR ANY PUBLIC PLACE The airport is arguably the most insecure and cyber-fraught environment you will face. Hotels (especially those in large cities that cater to business travelers) are not far behind. The obvious reason is that you are part of a ‘target-rich’ environment, and much like lions on
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