8 Top Ways to Protect Yourself, Your Personal Data and Money While Traveling

Stop! Before you head away on vacation, you need to learn how to protect not only yourself but also, your personal data and finances from electronic pickpocketing. Take a look at the top eight ways to keep your body and your belongings safe while traveling.

Less is Always More

Less is more when it comes to protecting your personal data and money while traveling.  Though traveling with as little as possible isn’t always practical but it is certainly a recommendation that can help protect your personal data and finances.

As a rule of thumb, bring what you need and nothing more. Leave your birth certificate, social insurance card and license (if you won’t be driving) at home, and use your passport to verify your ID when needed. Travel with as little cash as possible or at the very least, leave what you can in a locked safe at the hotel you’re staying at.

Bring a RFID Wallet

An RFID wallet means that it is designed with revolutionary details that essentially block radio frequency identification. This is absolutely imperative in today’s day-and-age as most passports, credit cards and even driver’s licenses are now embedded with a radio frequency identification chip. All it takes for someone to gain all sorts of valuable information about you, your life and your bank accounts is a quick flash of a device on your pocket that contains your wallet. You may think you’ll notice if someone is flashing your pocket but don’t be mistaken. This electronic pickpocketing tactic can be done within milliseconds and call it takes it someone to walk by you in a crowd of people or on the street. So, it is highly recommended to always travel with an RFID wallet. Otherwise, you’ll be worried (or at least, should be worried) about your personal data and finances which can take away from the trip as a whole.

Upgrade to a Travel RFID Wallet

Speaking of RFID wallets, you may want to consider upgrading your everyday wallet to a travel wallet that has zip-around features. It will give you that extra layer of defense against theft and will keep all of your belongings safely stored inside – a huge benefit since there are few things worse than losing a credit card, your I.D. or even cash while traveling.

Be Wary of Free Wireless Internet Access

Depending on where you’re traveling to, you may want to be wary of places that offer free wireless internet access. While it isn’t unusual to come across a café, club or restaurant that offers free wireless, it is unusual to find signs about the wireless internet in bathrooms, in alleyways or in some random place that doesn’t make sense. So, if you intend on taking advantage of free wireless internet while traveling, always ask the staff for the login information and always consider the source. If you’re enjoying homemade cooking in some random dark corner restaurant at the back of an alleyway in a less-than-luxurious part of the city, you may want to wait until you’re back at the hotel before accessing the internet. We aren't saying that you should judge a book by its cover but we also aren't saying that you shouldn't.

Avoid Public Computers

Speaking of the internet, avoid using public computers as much as possible. Fortunately, this is fairly easy to do as you likely own a tablet, smartphone or laptop which you can use as a computer while traveling. However, if not, skip out on the free public computers.

If you must use a public computer, do so from a library or other reputable establishment and definitely skip out on checking your social media accounts and logging into your online bank accounts.

Use a RFID Passport Holder

Similar to the RFID wallets and why you’ll want to take advantage of them particularly while traveling, you’ll also want to use a passport cover that has RFID data armor infused into it. As mentioned, many passports have radio frequency identification chips put right into them. So, a quick scan and someone can have all of your most valuable information.

Even if your passport is yet to be modernized with this technology, you likely store things such as your credit cards and I.D. cards in your passport, particularly while going through airport security, since you need to present them many times. So, you’ll want a RFID passport holder to give yourself peace of mind. You simply never know.

Cold Fire RFID passport holders are also designed with CX6 carbon fiber and high performance kangaroo leather. So, not only will your personal data be protected but your passport holder will be safe throughout your travel as it is designed with superior strength and durability.

Download a Tracker on your Tech Devices

Professional thieves rely on tourists to supply their inventory. They have perfected the talent of snatching one’s phone, tablet, cameras and other valuables within seconds. (Do a web search on thieves in Brazil. You’ll be shocked). Now, as long as you are cautious with your electronics and aware of your surroundings, you likely don’t have to worry.

However, downloading location trackers on all of your electronic devices can give you peace of mind “just in case”.  Just make sure you have all of your information for the tracking services memorized or at home with a friend because if you’re storing the login information on the stolen devices, you’ll be out of luck.

Travel with a Tactical Pen

This travel safety tip may not pertain to your personal data and finances but it can keep you safe throughout your vacation. After all, what good is a vacation if you physically can’t enjoy it?  Cold Fire’s tactical pen comes with two interchangeable heads – a Tungsten head for self-defense and a ceramic bead head that can be used to break a window in the case of an emergency. It’s also small enough to fit in your pocket, providing you with extra protection wherever you go.

It’s a tiny tactical gadget with a hell of a lot of kick to you.

With August finally here, your vacation is likely near. So, head on over to Cold Fire and get an RFID wallet, RFID passport holder, and a tactical pen today.