Travel and Cyber Safety Practices From Our Team
By Angela Bowman
OVER THE YEARS WE HAVE WRITTEN various articles about cybersecurity and best practices when it comes keeping your information safe. You have heard the simple things many times… Don’t click on links or open attachments on emails that you are not expecting, don’t provide anyone with your personal information and be sure to shred anything with your information on it.
These items are more important than ever to remember, especially as technology changes. Although email continues to be a way criminals try to gain access to your information, text messages are being used more and more. Take one extra minute to think before you click or tap to help protect yourself. As a company, we continue to train our employee-owners and have learned various tips that we would like to share. Below are a list of ways our employees protect themselves every day and especially while traveling.
Kathy Patenaude:
My favorite tip I have learned is to carefully check the email address when you receive an email you are not expecting – sometimes it is obvious that it is a scam, but sometimes not! It is better to delete than to click if you are not sure!
Katie Gardner:
I always use a credit card with a modest credit limit when traveling abroad and never use my bank/debit card–I don’t even carry it while abroad. Reasons why credit cards are better for travel:
- They have enhanced security/fraud protection.
- They are more widely accepted outside the US.
- They have much better exchange rates than banks.
- You get cash back/rewards/points, etc., for things you’re going to need anyway, such as hotels, cars, etc., internationally.
Andrea Reynolds:
- If I get a phone call I am not expecting, I ask for a call-back number. (Usually they hang up.)
- When traveling, I try to use cash whenever possible.
- I check credit card activity monthly and reconcile my bank accounts.
- If I receive an email about any of my accounts, I call back using numbers I have, or log in to the account and look to see what is happening.
- I have a subscription to Experian. They have a feature that allows me to lock my credit data, and they send me alerts when an attempt is made to access it.
Andrew Cross:
- Don’t access sensitive accounts while using public wifi. If you need to be connected to wifi, use your phone’s hotspot.
- Don’t use public charging stations.
- Turn off auto-connect features on your phone.
- Monitor your accounts closely once you return from traveling.
Kate Murphy:
Definitely be careful where you plug in, especially public/shared USB ports!
I’ve noticed an uptick in spam texts. Some are quite convincing, saying you’ll face penalties if you don’t click the link to pay a missed toll, etc. I’ve also gotten job recruitment texts: “We have a great job for you, click here.” Another standard is the “there was an issue with your delivery”text.
Sarah Ennis:
When traveling, I carry multiple cards. Even with travel alerts in place, your bank or credit card company might still flag a transaction as suspicious and freeze your card. Having a backup ensures you can continue to access your funds if this happens.
Jenny Rowe:
If you need to provide sensitive personal information to a trusted contact, think about how you are sending it! Don’t ever send a Social Security number or an account number in an email, either in the body of the email or as an attachment. Use a secure upload link instead, such as the one included in every email you’ll receive from your contacts at Trust Company of Vermont, or pick up the phone in a private location so you can share the information verbally without being overheard.
As it is in so many areas of life, artificial intelligence is already creating changes in fraud techniques. Don’t be overconfident! Assume scammers can do more than you think they can, including replicating the voices and writing styles of people you know. Pay attention, and if anything seems unusual, confirm using another known contact method.