As the summer season gets underway, Brits are jetting off to sunnier climes for a well-deserved break. However, tech expert Sam Crawford from byCrawford has issued a stark warning to holidaymakers about the potential dangers of cybercrime.
“When you get back from your trip, it’s a good idea to tidy up your digital space,” he advised. “The fewer apps you have, the less likely a hacker is to steal your personal or payment information.”
Crawford recommends that once your holiday is over, you should delete everything you don’t need. This includes any apps used exclusively for your trip – whether they’re local taxi services, bike rental apps, or anything else that can access your location data.
While this might seem harmless, Crawford warns that it’s far from innocent. In some cases, app tracking allows companies to use or even sell your data for targeted advertising.
Furthermore, if an app’s infrastructure doesn’t have strong defence measures in place, it could be vulnerable to a cyber attack. In the worst-case scenario, this could result in your card details and personal data being leaked.
Crawford added: “You might also want to delete event apps if you visited a museum or attraction or any other local apps, like apps used for communication with locals you don’t normally use.
“Then, over the following weeks, monitor your credit card statements and any unusual activity concerning your credit or identity. While you’re checking your accounts, you might as well change your passwords while you’re at it.”
If you’re worried about whether your personal details have been swiped in a data hack, websites like ‘Have I been pwned?‘, can give you some insight.
Just tap in your email, hit ‘search’, and you’ll find out if your email’s been caught up in a breach.