Smartphones don’t just make doing business easier; they aim to impact, and improve, every part of our life.

When you’re traveling, smartphones and laptops will certainly come in handy. Still, whether you’re traveling for work or personal reasons, you need to ensure your keeping your devices secure.

Are you taking extra precautions to protect your data and information when you go on vacation? If not, you need to start following these tips.

• Lock Your Devices When They’re Inactive

Mobile devices and laptops are lost every single day. In fact, around 100 smartphones are lost or stolen every minute in the US. Are you prepared to deal with the fallout of losing a device that holds sensitive business and personal data? Prevention is the best form of protection – make sure you lock your devices to keep all of your content and contacts private. Set your devices to auto-lock after the shortest delay you can. Pick a complex password or passcode.

With your phone, think about enabling the “wipe device after 10 wrong guesses” option. If someone is continuously trying to break in, they’ll eventually be totally shut out. iDevices also offer Find My iPhone apps and Android offers Device Manager to track lost or stolen devices.

• Remember That Public Wi-Fi Isn’t Safe

Public Wi-Fi is often a huge help – it keeps up connected when we’re away from home. Security bugs are common in Wi-Fi routers, though, and they infect any devices that are connected. A better alternative is using a prepaid SIM card when you travel and pay-as-you-go data.

Many businesses also use VPNs to keep their data secure. Public Wi-Fi puts your business and personal info in jeopardy, so always use alternate methods when possible.

• Turn Off Location

Apps like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram use geo-tagging which prompt your phone for a location. Even if your GPS is turned off, your phone will still figure out where you are by keeping track of Wi-Fi access points around you. Always consider leaving your phone in Airplane mode throughout a trip.

• Be Careful Using Public Computers

When you’re using public devices, you never know what you’re getting. They may be infected with malware that will end up spying on your personal information. Hackers can also attach themselves to ATMs to steal financial information. Being cautious isn’t a bad thing, especially when you’re dealing with sensitive data.

• Layer Your Protection

Don’t ignore prompts to update your computer and devices – new updates mean patched vulnerabilities and better protection. Remember that smartphones need security, too. Mobile solutions will keep you protected when you’re using your phone for work-on-the-go.

Don’t let your guard down just because you’re on vacation. For more helpful IT security tips and tricks, contact {company} at {email} or by phone at {phone}.