Holiday makers and business travelers conduct a lot of financial operations online when abroad, putting themselves at risk when they are not properly protected, says a report from software security group, Kaspersky Lab.
Holiday makers and business travelers conduct a lot of financial operations online when abroad, putting themselves at risk when they are not properly protected, says a report from software security group, Kaspersky Lab. The research discovered that 45% of travelers believe losing money is one of the top-three threats they may face abroad, and credit card compromise is considered to be a top-three threat by 35% of users.
These concerns are well-founded – the research also highlights that there is a real danger when it comes to losing money when traveling: 22% of respondents have experienced such a loss, and 8% have had a card compromised whilst in a foreign country.
In contrast, Kaspersky Lab says fewer respondents named device infection (11%) or online fraud (20%) as one of their top-three worries whilst traveling. That is despite the fact that 18% has been a victim of cybercrime when abroad. Among these, 6% has been hit when banking online and 9% when shopping online.
Kaspersky Lab says, it is not surprising that travelers are becoming victims of cybercrime. 82% connect to public Wi-Fi anywhere when abroad and, using this potentially risky connection which can be intercepted and used by cybercriminals, 61% of consumers bank online and 55% shop online.
In addition, 42% of users admit that they shop online with their credit card the same amount, or more, than they do at home, claims the report. Without the appropriate protection in place, this behavior is exposing users – and their money – to unnecessary danger, but only 34% of users apply a secure connection (VPN) when connecting to public Wi-Fi, while 18% express that they do nothing at all to stay protected.
“It’s all too easy to connect via potentially insecure Wi-Fi abroad then continue our normal habits of banking and shopping online, without stopping to think about the consequences of what we are doing,” says Elena Kharchenko, head of consumer product management, Kaspersky Lab.
