Why tourists are particularly vulnerable to cyber attacks

Travelling abroad always comes with the potential risk of cybercrime threats including spoofing, phishing attacks, catfishing, fraudulent links and calls, spamming, etc. These travel risks are more for tourists who are generally travelling to a new country for the first time or are alone. They don’t know much about the native language of the new place or anything else and easily fall into these traps of cybercrime when travelling.  

How do tourists become vulnerable to cyber attacks?

Several different factors make tourists more prone to cyber-attacks and data loss threats in a new place. It is not just that these cyber threats can only necessarily arise from a digital threat. Other factors can also have a significant role in making a tourist more prone to threats. 

Before you begin to pack your bags, you should look into common preventive ways that might save you from cyber threats. Tourists are more prone to cyber-attacks compared to the regional natives because of the following factors - 

Local risks 

As a tourist, you may not be aware of the local cyber threats that are going around in a particular region they are visiting. Different regions, countries and cities that you are visiting may have different levels of security awareness parameters and different types of cyber threats. 

Public Wi-Fi 

Many tourists rely on public Wi-Fi networks in various cafes, hotels and airports, often overlooking the potential cyber threats of these data networks. Most of these Wi-Fi networks are unsecured and unencrypted, thereby allowing general access to your data to many third-party threats and cyber attackers. 

Distractions 

While travelling and vacation are synonymous with relaxation, they often make tourists more prone to cyber-attacks and potential data breaches. Most people, while on vacation, let their guard down and become an easy target for hackers through different attacks like spoofing, phishing, or any other form of data manipulation. 

Unfamiliar devices/services 

Tourists often get attracted to various unfamiliar devices or rental smartphones and laptops while travelling to a new country. They are not aware of where that device is coming from or who has intercepted it with a potential cyber threat loophole or vulnerability. Most of these rental/ unfamiliar devices do not follow adequate security procedures and do not have reliable software installed to make data more secure. Any cyber attacker can easily intercept data through these devices and make you susceptible to cybercrime.

Limited access 

Tourists are often limited to only a certain level of access in supporting them from their home country’s bank or credit card authorities, which makes them more vulnerable to these attacks. These tourists often receive banking or fraudulent calls but don’t get support from their native country's banking support system. 

Wrapping up 

So, in the article above, we discussed how tourists are vulnerable to cyber attacks in different countries. You should always take preventive measures like using a VPN and masking your IP address when travelling to a new country and safeguarding yourself from all these cyber threats and loopholes online.