Protect Email from Hackers While Traveling

Staying connected is important when you’re on the road, particularly if you’re one of the many RVers who have adopted a mobile RV lifestyle and live and work from your RV. In our August 14 post we discussed how easy it is to stay in touch with family, friends and business clients via the Internet when you’re RVing. Many RV parks now provide free or low-cost WiFi; however, open WiFi networks can make your email account – and the personal information stored there — vulnerable to hackers.

Security experts recommend taking the following basic precautions when using open WiFi networks:

> Create a dedicated email account for use on the road.

>Create a unique password for your travel account. Avoid using your bank or credit card passwords.

>To create a strong password, Microsoft password checker recommends a minimum of 8 characters and preferably 14 or more, including a combination of upper and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols that would be hard for someone to guess. If your system supports use of the space bar, consider creating a three- or four-word pass phrase. Just don’t get too carried away with the cloak and dagger stuff; you do need a password you can remember.  

> Disable file and printer sharing.

> Delete your browsing history when you log off (under Tools in Microsoft Explorer or choose Private Browsing in Apple’s Safari menu).

> Keep security programs up-to-date. Business users might want to consider a Virtual Private Network that encrypts transmissions to prevent interception.