Did you know that using public WiFi can put your personal / client information at risk? Yes, although free WiFi sounds like a great offer, it comes with its own share of potential dangers. This makes it hard for many travelers who depend on WiFi to communicate to loved ones back home, especially if the traveler has his or her cellular data turned off to prevent an expensive phone bill. Thankfully, travelers wanting employee travel security solutions while on a business trip have some options.
Increase Your Employee Travel Security with a VPN
Does your corporation already use a VPN or private network for employees? If so, awesome! If not, you’ll most likely want to investigate various VPN (Virtual Private Network) solutions for yourself and your employees. A VPN encrypts your data, which helps make it a little more difficult for hackers to access personal and business details through your connection to public WiFi via your laptop or smartphone. However, it’s not 100% foolproof for various reasons, including that personal data can still be sent over the WiFi network in the brief time before you connect to the VPN. It is better than no security at all, though.
Public WiFi can be dangerous for travelers because it opens you up to man-in-the-middle attacks. MITM basically is what it sounds like…someone listens in on the conversation your computer is having with the server. Public WiFi can also make you prone to malware or even to WiFi “honeypots”.
Basically, it’s recommended to avoid public WiFi if possible (even at hotels and on airplanes!) and to turn off your WiFi and Bluetooth connections when you’re not using them. In addition, employers interested in employee travel security solutions should definitely consider giving employees access to a VPN or possibly a personal mobile hotspot while away from the office. Business owners need to take time to educate employees about the pitfalls of public networks and encourage them to use caution while traveling. Above all, businesses need to ensure that personal or business financial information can’t be accessed while using a public network.