Why should you focus a little on safety during your holiday?
We're not here to talk about the amount of sunscreen you need. Other experts will have to take care of that. We should rather talk about digital security. For now there are +/- 20 days left until July. Then many people land off and dream away on the beach, in the mountains or at a water park "near you".

It also means more time to hang on the phone. Scroll a little here and there. Suddenly you've clicked on something that you don't notice is not quite right. Nor do you notice that something is missing until several hours later. A few wrong clicks can end up with: fraud, hacking and valuable information going astray. That's why you should focus a little on safety before you go on holiday!

This is how dangerous situations can arise
Suddenly an SMS from the airline ticks in, missing some information and saying that you have not paid for food on the plane. Of course you click on because the family needs food on a long flight! After all, the least will be weak without food, and the rest of the world needs it for to see mother-in-law hangry. You enter your details and approve the bankID before you have time to think, and what happens?

Online banking emptied.

It's a bit of a knot in the stomach, isn't it? We know that many people think that "this would never have happened to me, I had noticed that something was wrong". But do you really understand what's wrong on the phone when two children ask for ice cream, the roommate is tired of the sun and the mother-in-law refuses to go out without factor 50? We humans are not as good at multitasking as we think.

Another big ugly wolf is logging on to the hotel network because 4G is so expensive abroad.

Public networks are a goldmine for people who can hack. Most people connect without giving it a second thought. Public network is both available and "included in the price" at the accommodation. The problem is that the network you connect to is also the one that can create a digital bridge between you and a hacker.

Via this bridge, the hacker can steal your passwords, gain access to codes, emails and much more. Not everything has value, but suddenly you land into a place that has value, such as your work email. What is actually there?

This is how you avoid dangerous digital situations at home and abroad
That's why we're here to give you a good dose of do's and don'ts before the holiday. We start with what you should avoid doing.

Avoid: 

  • Using public wifi or wifi at the hotel which is often a "guest network". Hackers use WiFi as a way into your devices and can steal information both from you as a private person, but also information from the channels you use for work.
  • Clicking on SMSs and emails from airlines, accommodation or other holiday-related senders. Phishing and smishing attempts, scams by email or SMS, are popular in fraud attempts and often linked to holidays or holidays, as many people's focus is precisely on holidays and holidays. The hackers dream of exploiting the stress of people who click more uncritically.
  • To pay with regular VISA- cards, both physical and digital.
  • Clicking links on the fly. Don't fall for the temptation. Nothing is so urgent that you can't look at this when your head is in the right place. We promise that!

Do a lot of this: 

  • Use your own mobile network where you can. Rather, accept a slightly higher phone bill this month so that you can surf tryggere abroad (and inland).
  • Use the airline app or use their public website to find information about your departures rather than clicking immediately on SMSes. This also applies to check-in.
  • Double check the emails and the SMS which sends you information about your overnight stays or other holiday-related things.
  • Use credit cards everywhere you can, and especially online!

Why are we actually writing about this?
As an IT supplier, we have a responsibility to educate the Norwegian people in digital security. This includes you as a private person as well. Because today it is very rare that you have one private phone and one work phone. We're guessing that you have both your email, teams, and perhaps some documents and photos on your mobile phone. It is therefore for both private and work use.

The information on the phone is valuable to you and your employer, perhaps even business-critical? In the past, we physically locked such folders in a safe or filing cabinet. Now they are usually in an encrypted folder on our OneDrive. Are you absolutely sure that you are helping to keep it safe? Does your employer know how they can keep you and all the data trygge in the holiday?

We want your job to be just as stable and secure when you return from holiday. That is why we are writing this post. We hope it can be a reminder for those of you who are very hungry on holiday.

In conclusion, we wish you a wonderful holiday! Sunbathe (remember the sun factor!) and click digitally with care.

Did you know you wanted to read more about digital security? Cool! Click here to access our articles on security.