11 Ways To Keep Your Gadgets Safe While On Vacation

Picture the scene: You've just arrived in Paris for the first time, and every travel dream you've had since childhood finally comes true. Maybe you're standing on the steps of the Sacré-Cœur staring out over the city in awe. Or maybe you're under the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, baguette in hand, eyes skyward, and fully engaged with the view.

You should be focused on that moment, but, unfortunately, sifting around you are people hoping to take advantage of your blissful ignorance. In fact, the iconic French landmark is the worst place in France for pickpockets. It's a dark thought, but a reality of the modern travel landscape. The U.K. sees an estimated 16,000 moped muggings a year, according to Southern Cross Travel Insurance; 12 people are pickpocketed an hour in Barcelona, as reported by EuroNews, according to Spain's interior ministry; and Rome's iconic spots are a hotbed for swift-fingered thieves. Tourists — and the often pricey tech they carry — are prime targets for thieves and, increasingly, for digital criminals operating in the modern world.

As the world modernizes, so do the types of criminals and the ways we need to protect ourselves. Where a money belt and common sense once sufficed, we now have to think more broadly to keep our gadgets — from smartphones and laptops to cameras and credit cards — safe. Thankfully, as thieves evolve their tactics, so too have the ways we can protect ourselves — though sometimes, the old methods remain just as valuable. Here are 12 ways to keep your gadgets safe while on vacation.

There are plenty of hacks to protect yourself from pickpockets while traveling. But sometimes the most obvious option is the easiest to forget. If you have valuables, protect them. That means both physically and digitally. How you do that depends on what you're safeguarding. If you're staying in a hotel, there's typically a safe in the room. It's a good first step, but it's worth remembering that safes have override codes in case of a forgotten PIN or battery loss. With that said, a staff member is not likely to steal from you and risk losing their job. Override code or not, if it's a decision between leaving a laptop or other valuables in plain sight or throwing them in the safe, the answer should be still be the safe.

Beyond physical security, today's tech demands extra protection. Someone with access to your laptop, phone, or tablet not only has an item that can be resold for hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, they also have a window into your life — from bank details and personal data to social media and other habits. This kind of information can be exploited by thieves themselves or sold off to others for more serious crimes.

To that end, your devices should be locked with every technology-based protection possible. Passcodes (please, never 1234), biometric keys like facial or fingerprint recognition, and broader password protections on anything valuable within them should be activated at all times. That way, if the worst happens, you're just dealing with a lost phone — not a full-blown data breach.

Following on from the first tip, the next line of protection comes in the form of tracking and remote-wipe features. In the past, a stolen device was almost certainly gone for good. Now you can often track its movements — at least until someone turns it off.

Almost every phone, laptop, or tablet now has a "find my" feature installed. Generally, these need to be activated and linked to whatever account the phone is tied to. If it's an iPhone, for example, it would be tied to your Apple ID. Of course, thieves sometimes know this and can turn devices off quickly, but many still forget — or turn them back on later — giving you a last known location that can be pivotal in recovery. If you spot a device's location, alert authorities rather than trying to recover it yourself. For items that don't have these protections built in, purchasing physical trackers like Apple AirTags or Tile can be a great choice. Some models are slim enough that thieves may not notice them.

As a last-ditch play, many phones and laptops have remote-wipe features, too. If a device is irretrievable, you can erase its data to prevent misuse. Hopefully, the criminals wouldn't be able to break in anyway, but if there are more advanced hackers, it's a possibility. This is purely for damage control, preventing anyone from accessing your sensitive information.

Despite being a major issue today, many travelers underestimate the risk of using public Wi-Fi. Hackers have a long list of techniques to exploit unsuspecting users, each with serious consequences.

One of the most popular methods is the so-called "man-in-the-middle" attack. In this scenario, a criminal digitally positions their own device between a user and the internet connection. In short, every piece of data sent between the devices is routed through the hackers — that could mean passwords, bank details, social media logins, emails, and more. Others, such as "Evil Twin" networks, are even sneakier. These are fake Wi-Fi networks set up to mimic another. The network may be named "Starbucks Wi-Fi" or something similar, but it is really a fabricated one, allowing the creator to intercept all the data being sent through.

If you find yourself in a situation where you need Wi-Fi, think carefully about where you're connecting and what information you're accessing while on it. In general, it's better to invest in a temporary SIM card or an eSIM to ensure you're never left without a connection. If that's not possible, speak to the staff of wherever you're hoping to use the Wi-Fi and double-check you're on the correct one. From there, avoid accessing any sensitive data. If you have a friend with you, see if they can let you use their hotspot for a minute or two.

One way to help shift the balance of power is the use of a VPN, or Virtual Private Network. These handy tools are more widely available than ever before and can put up an excellent first line of cyber defense. Better yet, they can cost just a few dollars a month.

A VPN works by routing your device's internet connection through an external server using an encrypted data tunnel. In short, everything you do online first runs through a server in, let's say, Canada, then on to whatever you were browsing. By doing this, your internet activity is now invisible to your internet service provider and anyone trying to peer in on the same network. It's good practice to keep a VPN running daily to maintain privacy — not just for protection against hackers.

They aren't foolproof, and your devices can still be susceptible to other forms of cyberattacks, like phishing or malware, but it takes a ton of risk out of many situations. Beyond the protection, VPNs also let you circumvent geoblockers, whether that's a Chinese block on your social media or the ability to watch a movie that's only on the German version of Netflix. The ethics of the latter are obviously a little contentious, and many platforms are fighting hard against customer use of VPNs.

Another tip that falls firmly into the "common sense but we're all guilty of not doing it" category is simply keeping devices with you. Of course, the ease of this depends on the situation and devices being looked after. It's far easier to take a phone with you than a laptop when sightseeing. But whenever possible, your devices are always safer when they're with you.

This is especially important on travel days, when you may spend hours on a train or bus or waiting to check in or out. Leaving your bag on your seat for a minute while you run to the train bathroom or to order a drink at the beach feels like a small risk worth taking — but you can never be sure who's been watching and waiting for the right moment. For example, an entire bus of Chinese tourists had their belongings stolen during a 20-minute stop in Pisa, Italy, according to The Star. 

When you have an early arrival or late departure, you may feel tempted to leave your luggage with the hotel. This is in itself a risk. You won't find many properties that don't say "any loss or damage isn't our responsibility." While that's a normal thing to say, many of the storage locations aren't secure, with some just being a corner of the lobby. If you must leave it there, see if you can shimmy your bag to the back of the room behind others. If not, just keep your stuff with you for the morning.

If you're traveling with a laptop or phone with important data on it — whether that's work or just meaningful photos — it's smart to have everything backed up. Thankfully, this part of keeping your data safe is easier than ever. You may have everything backed up already and not even realize it.

There are dozens of online options for this. Your photos and videos may already be backed up on a cloud service with Apple, Google, or another similar platform, allowing you to access them all again, even if your device has been stolen. That takes a lot of the stress out of losing a device, but it's vital to check that everything has been uploaded before leaving for a trip. Some devices back up automatically on a daily or even hourly basis, while others may wait for a home Wi-Fi connection or require manual activation.

As a fail-safe, a hard drive backup is amazing. There aren't too many situations where your entire computer's data would be destroyed, but keeping a copy on a hard drive at home offers peace of mind that's hard to match. 

Sure, the notification popping up at 2 a.m. can be annoying, but you should take heed — updates to your phone can be quiet saviors, working in the background to keep your data safe without you ever noticing.

Technology is evolving daily, with the AI revolution fast-tracking that progress at a rate that's almost impossible for us to keep up with. Running a device that's two or three updates behind can mean missing vital protections against new threats. Sometimes, it's as simple as a minor security bug, but other times those flaws can leave gaping holes in a system's defenses. Samsung recently discovered a security flaw in the backend of its operating system that could have let hackers control users' devices. While the odds of an attack may have been low, many outlets were actively pushing Samsung owners to update their devices to lower this risk.

The same goes for your apps, too. Many of these will update automatically, but running through those on your phone before a trip can help ensure they're in top shape for you. Banking and other financial apps are especially important. You never know what new security features might have been added.

Let's be frank: The more stuff you bring, the more you have to worry about. That doesn't necessarily mean you're more or less likely to be the victim of theft, but the numbers do skew against you in this case. Before packing, consider what you really need to bring and why.

If you're heading to Europe for two weeks and aren't anticipating working at all, maybe ditch the laptop. If you need to send an email, your phone can do the job. Tablets are another item worth leaving behind. Sure, they might provide some extra entertainment in your downtime, but you could, dare we say it, read a book or go explore the place you've come to see. Throwing on the local TV channels used to be an amusing part of any trip anyway.

Maybe your next vacation is the perfect time to unplug — for your sake and your tech's. You never know, you might feel a bit more relaxed with the cord cut. Regardless, a phone, a laptop, a tablet, headphones, a Nintendo Switch, a portable charger, a big camera, and an e-reader are a little excessive. You'd need to check another bag just to carry it all!

Certain things may make tourists a target for pickpockets and other criminals. Sometimes it's what you're wearing — something as simple as wearing shorts in a country where no one else does (outing you as a tourist) or a flashy fashion choice can make you a target for pickpockets. Other times, it's the bags you're using to carry things.

Some bags are immediate targets: think loosely zipped backpacks and open-topped tote bags. These bags are a huge risk as they can be rummaged through easily, with the carrier barely even registering that something is wrong. If you need a bag for a couple of things, keep them small and close to your body. Modern sling bags are great for this as they can wrap comfortably around your body, making it harder for a thief to reach your valuables unnoticed. There are instances where thieves cut straps and take the whole bag, but this is a higher-risk approach for them.

Plenty of bags nowadays come with anti-theft technology. These features include hidden inner pockets to conceal valuables, magnetized hooks to secure items to the bag, and RFID-blocking technology that prevents thieves from scanning your wallet or passport. Others have slash-proof material that can protect against box cutters and other sharp objects. I can testify to the value of slash-proof gear. My own backpack was slashed in Peru (after I left it on a bus for a moment), but the tough build meant they only got through to the second layer, and nothing was stolen.

Being cautious about posting your location is important not just for technology but for personal safety — women in particular. In today's world, posting on social media is second nature. While traveling, we probably do it even more, just to show everyone what we're up to. But while we're only thinking about our friends, family, and maybe a few new followers, there's an unsettling reason to avoid posting vacation photos while you're away from home — criminals looking for victims.

The threats here are twofold. Posting that you're in France tells people back home that your house is empty. The issues there should be obvious. But for criminals at your destination, there's even more to gain. Posting and tagging your location can show where you're staying, the amount of money you're spending, the clothes you're wearing, and the tech you're carrying. If someone suspects your hotel and knows you have a brand new camera hanging from your shoulder or a kid with an iPad at restaurants, they can simply wait for you to leave, follow you, and seize the moment.

There is an even darker side to this — especially for women or solo travelers. Imagine posting from a beach bar in Bali, and an unwanted person arrives after seeing your post. It's not a scenario anyone wants to imagine.

It's never fun to add more expenses to a trip, but sometimes a small investment up front can save you thousands in the long run. Opting to purchase insurance for your valuables is an excellent way to guarantee that any losses will hurt less. Depending on when you bought a gadget, you may be able to insure it for its full value against theft or severe damage.

Picking up a few handy gadgets for extra protection can help, too. There are hundreds of options today — portable door locks and door alarms (useful for hostels or less-secure accommodations), cable luggage ties, and phone tethers — all of which add an extra layer of defense a thief must get through. Most will give up as soon as they come up against this. If you don't want to shell out, you can even use a lint roller for extra hotel security — seriously.

It may seem over the top, but bringing a burner phone is also a great idea. Purchase a cheap phone with basic capabilities and none of your personal data on it. You can still bring your real phone, but keep it somewhere hidden. The purpose of this is to have something to give someone who's robbing you. Most will take what you give and run. A burner phone to offer and even a decoy wallet to throw pickpockets and muggers off can go a long way to helping avoid any serious losses.

This article was created using a mix of sources, YouTube videos, and travel websites that share tips and tricks for keeping gadgets safe while on vacation. I've also been traveling full-time for the last six years and use many of the tips mentioned to keep my own gear safe, including one or two instances where my choices paid off.