PC Security On The Road

Keep your guard up away from home
August 2008
by Robin Wark

Being away from home this summer means surviving without your own bed, favorite coffee shop, secure home PC, and Internet access.

While you might be able to get through a few nights on a hotel bed and can likely find somewhere that serves a decent cup of joe, computer security away from home can be tricky. Whether you are using cyber café computers or your laptop at a place with a wireless network, you are at risk of someone trying to take advantage of you. A keylogger or another kind of spyware could be installed on a public computer to steal your personal information. Or, if using a wireless network, someone nearby could be reading what is on your screen.

As well, if you are traveling with your laptop, there is the risk of it being stolen. According to a Ponemon Institute survey released in 2008, 10,278 laptops on average are reported missing every week at 36 of the United States’ largest airports. The survey revealed that 53 per cent of business travelers said their laptops contained confidential company information and 65 per cent said there were no steps taken to protect it. If you are traveling with your computer on business, consider removing as much important information as possible. You might wish to carry key information on a USB thumb drive that you can keep in your pocket as it is less of a target for thieves.

Whether you are on your own laptop or using a computer at a public place, security is definitely a concern. Here are some tips for keeping your information safe while away from home:

• Log off. It sounds simple, but be sure to log out of every application and website you used, especially if using a public computer. As well, make sure you use the "clear private data" option if it is available in the browser, clear the history and empty the cache. That will thwart the next person using the machine from trying to take advantage of you.
• When banking online, make sure the URL shows "https," which indicates that it is secure. In general, it is best to make sure as much of your banking needs as possible are taken care of before you leave.
• Be careful with passwords. It is best to have different passwords and user names for your various accounts. As well, some people have developed a system to try to combat "keyloggers" from stealing their passwords. They type in the first letter and then click elsewhere on the page and put in some random characters. They follow this strategy for the entire password. Most keyloggers cannot tell the difference between random typing and information being put in a specific field.
• If you are using your laptop a lot for confidential business while on the road, you might want to consider a VPN (Virtual Private Network). A Virtual Private Network service allows you to create an encrypted connection to the Internet and all of your internet traffic can be routed through it. If someone near you in a cyber café tries to watch electronically, all they see is encrypted data.

Summer trips, whether for business or pleasure, can be a lot of fun. By being aware of your computing activities, you can also make sure they are safe.