Tips: Protect Your Identity While Traveling

Intersections Inc., a provider of consumer and corporate identity risk management services, advises leisure and business travelers to become more aware of their increased exposure on the road and to learn how to protect themselves from becoming victims of identity theft. According to the U.S. Bureau of Travel Statistics, Americans will take approximately 2.6 billion long distance trips this year.

"Whether you are traveling for business or going on a family vacation, being away from home increases your exposure to identity theft. Identity thieves are known to target unsuspecting tourists and even savvy business travelers," said Intersections CEO and founder, Michael Stanfield. "They also know that many of us have let our guard down. We developed these tips to remind fellow travelers that we all need to take simple precautionary measures to protect our identities."

Intersections recommends the following safety tips for travelers:

1. Protect your home from burglars and identity thieves before you leave. Have your mail collected or held at the Post Office, ideally have someone visit and turn lights on and off, and do not leave financial documents lying in plain view.

2. Try to avoid "tweeting" or blogging about your travel plans or talking about them on social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and MySpace. Thieves may use this information to target empty homes.

3. Protect yourself from key loggers, hackers, spammers, and botnets by installing anti-virus and anti-spyware software on your laptop computer.

4. If browsing the Internet with a wireless connection, do not assume public "hot spots" are secure. Ensure you are using encryption to scramble communications over a network.

5. If you're staying at a hotel or motel and receive a call from the reception desk asking that you confirm a credit card number, tell them you'll provide the information at the front desk instead. The call could easily be a random one from outside the hotel.

6. Bring as few credit cards as possible and ideally carry just one with you and keep a backup card in the hotel safe. Bring a copy of the emergency contact numbers for your credit cards and bank accounts in case they're lost or stolen.

7. Beware of pickpockets -- remove all documentation and cards from your wallet or purse that you don't need during your travels.

8. Use cash or travelers checks wherever possible to minimize the risk of credit card fraud or overcharging (this can also help avoid costly exchange fees if you're traveling abroad).

9. Make a photocopy of the cards and documents in your wallet or purse, including credit and ATM cards, store cards, drivers' licenses, etc. Leave the copy with someone you trust so if your wallet or purse is stolen, you'll know what to cancel.

10. If you're leaving for an extended period and don't expect to be applying for new credit during that time, consider using a credit monitoring service to watch over your credit. Or consider placing a temporary freeze on your credit reports.

Featured

  • Data Driven, Proactive Response

    As cities face rising demands for smarter policing and faster emergency response, Real Time Crime Centers (RTCCs) are emerging as essential hubs for data-driven public safety. In this interview, two experts with deep field experience — Ross Bourgeois of New Orleans and Dean Cunningham of Axis Communications — draw on decades of operational, leadership and technology expertise to share how RTCCs are transforming public safety through innovation, interagency collaboration and a relentless focus on community impact. Read Now

  • Integration Imagination: The Future of Connected Operations

    Security teams that collaborate cross-functionally and apply imagination and creativity to envision and design their ideal integrated ecosystem will have the biggest upside to corporate security and operational benefits. Read Now

  • Smarter Access Starts with Flexibility

    Today’s workplaces are undergoing a rapid evolution, driven by hybrid work models, emerging smart technologies, and flexible work schedules. To keep pace with growing workplace demands, buildings are becoming more dynamic – capable of adapting to how people move, work, and interact in real-time. Read Now

  • Trends Keeping an Eye on Business Decisions

    Today, AI continues to transform the way data is used to make important business decisions. AI and the cloud together are redefining how video surveillance systems are being used to simulate human intelligence by combining data analysis, prediction, and process automation with minimal human intervention. Many organizations are upgrading their surveillance systems to reap the benefits of technologies like AI and cloud applications. Read Now

  • The Future is Happening Outside the Cloud

    For years, the cloud has captivated the physical security industry. And for good reason. Remote access, elastic scalability and simplified maintenance reshaped how we think about deploying and managing systems. But as the number of cameras grows and resolutions push from HD to 4K and beyond, the cloud’s limits are becoming unavoidable. Bandwidth bottlenecks. Latency lags. Rising storage costs. These are not abstract concerns. Read Now

New Products

  • Compact IP Video Intercom

    Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis.

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • PE80 Series

    PE80 Series by SARGENT / ED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin

    ASSA ABLOY, a global leader in access solutions, has announced the launch of two next generation exit devices from long-standing leaders in the premium exit device market: the PE80 Series by SARGENT and the PED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin. These new exit devices boast industry-first features that are specifically designed to provide enhanced safety, security and convenience, setting new standards for exit solutions. The SARGENT PE80 and Corbin Russwin PED4000/PED5000 Series exit devices are engineered to meet the ever-evolving needs of modern buildings. Featuring the high strength, security and durability that ASSA ABLOY is known for, the new exit devices deliver several innovative, industry-first features in addition to elegant design finishes for every opening.