Travel Advisory - CNET

Ryan Naraine, head of security research at Kaspersky Lab USA, a research group and maker of security software, goes to even greater lengths to make sure his ATM transactions are secure. He suggests avoiding all standalone ATMs (like the free-standing machines at a convenience store) unless it's 100 percent necessary. "Use ATMs only at banks. And if possible at all, go into the banking location to do it," he says. "Actually walk into the bank to use the ATM instead of one at the side of the street."

Room disservice

Many travelers rightly shake their heads at the idea of paying $20 a day or more just to connect to the internet from a hotel room. But, if you simply must get online and aren't careful, surfing from your hotel room can be much more than just expensive.

One scam that's not widespread, but potentially very damaging, is the fake Wi-Fi hotspot. It can pop up in coffee shops, airports and, yes, hotels. And it's easier to fall for than you might think. Imagine flipping open your laptop in a hotel room after a long day on the road. You have email to answer, or you want to Skype with your spouse before bed. Searching the available Wi-Fi networks, you see one with the name of your hotel, so naturally you assume that's the one to join.

In fact, it could be an impostor network, deliberately named to fool you into connecting. Then, while a scammer is monitoring your activity, your passwords and other sensitive information are compromised. It's as simple as mistakenly joining "Chain Hotel Wi-Fi" rather than the real network, which might have a name like "Chain Hotel Guest Wi-Fi."

How can you tell the difference? Fortunately, the answer is right in front of you. When checking into a hotel, confirm the exact name of the Wi-Fi network you need to join, which is usually printed on a card or in a book right in your room. When in doubt, check with the front desk.

Naraine also recommends tethering to your phone instead for doing anything sensitive, like online shopping or sending personal information. "If it's not a financial burden, absolutely [tethering] is a top-of-the-list thing," he says. Just keep in mind that tethering may be exorbitant or even impossible when traveling internationally.

If hotel or public Wi-Fi is your only option, using encrypted messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Wickr or Threema is a second line of defense.

Grifters at the gate

One of the most physically secure spots many travelers visit may be one of the most dangerous for your data. While it's nearly impossible to sneak a bottle of water past airport security these days, it's very easy for someone to walk out with your online passwords or other sensitive information.

The first thing many travelers do while waiting at their gate is log into the airport Wi-Fi and check their email. Naraine says, "One of our researchers actually did an experiment where he just sat in a corner of an airport with a camera pointed at people's keyboards. You can slow that down and get usernames and passwords really, really easy in airports, because everyone has cameras and everyone is shooting [photos] around the airport."