In the News
As tourism increases, so does cyber-crime at popular tourist destinations. In London’s Tourist Hot Spots Suffer 100m+ Cyber-Attacks, Phil Muncaster at InfoSecurity Magazine discusses the recent rise in cyber-attacks at popular London tourist destinations including the Imperial War Museum and Kew Gardens. Muncaster explains that Kew Gardens have been the target of personal and financial information hacks while other tourist destinations are targeted for malware attacks including spyware attacks.
Our Take
Popular tourist destinations are an easy target for malicious attackers because they are high traffic areas with individuals who least expect an attack to occur. Individuals tend to be on high alert when handling their medical or financial information in more formal settings. However, when individuals travel for vacations, this caution is often reduced. By targeting these popular tourist destinations, hackers can capitalize on this decreased caution. It is vital to maintain discretion when creating membership accounts or purchasing tickets or items while on vacation. Always provide the least amount of personal and financial information possible to get your desired outcome. While individuals should proceed with increased caution at these types of venues, it is also crucial for the sites themselves to increase security precautions as tourist levels increase.
Recommendations
So how can you protect your personal and financial information from cyber-attacks?
- Understand the risks of putting your personal information into the world, and only share what you have to
- Minimize the number of accounts that have direct access to your bank account or card numbers
- Use safe password practices when creating online accounts, and take advantage of Multi-factor Authentication where possible
- Check your email, financial accounts, and credit reports regularly for abnormal activities