Computer safety tips for travellers

This prompted US-based software company Trend Micro to come up with tips to those travelling to China for the Olympics on how to protect their digital data.

The company quoted analysts as saying that because of China's strict government control over Internet use, many had a false sense of security and believed they did not need to protect themselves from malware attacks. The reality is, however, that China's problems with viruses, spam, malware and identity theft is growing.

Asia as a whole is being more affected by the problem, even though the number of Internet users is considerably less than in the US. And despite government crackdowns over the last few years, illegal Internet cafes continue to proliferate in various regions and counties across China; few of them are likely to consider security issues.

What does this all mean to Olympic travellers this summer wanting to call home via their roaming mobiles or use their laptops to send pictures via the Internet to friends and family? Or for reporters and photojournalists who must file their stories and photos of the various sporting events online and before deadlines? Is updating your anti-virus software enough? What about using Bluetooth?

Those aiming for mild security

for their data are advised to use removable storage media to store critical data. All data, including information about the removable media, should be backed up. Before leaving on a trip, firewalls, intrusion-detection systems and anti-virus applications should be updated. Any equipment that is not needed or not in use should be turned off.

For medium security, users are advised to take only the information needed, just the bare minimum. Documents should be duplicates, not originals. Use encryption to protect critical data. Because wireless capabilities enable hackers to burrow into hard drives, travellers can no longer assume data is safe, even if it is on a

hard drive. Digital devices should never be left unattended in hotel rooms. Removable media should be carried. Laptops or other hardware should be locked in a hotel or room safe.

For maximum security, users should not use free connections without encryption or perform work-related tasks using public Internet kiosks. They should change all passwords when getting home. When travelling, a more restricted user account should be established on a laptop, with the regular user account suspended until returning home.